PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The two worst things to say to a creative person: 1. That's been done before. 2. That's never been done before. - Seth Godin
People don't steal ideas. Ideas are cheap. Implementation makes the difference. - Seth Godin
A new product should have at least three different substanial advantages over its competitors in order to justify support. - Karl Vesper
Counter Rule: The advantages a product has over another must only be perceived. Marketing has created many "differences" among identical products. -Ben Casnocha
Don't start raving about a new idea to everyone in the corporation. Instead, enlist the support of those who like the idea, think it through, then propose it. - Robert Townsend
In choosing the name of a new product or service, there are only two guidelines that must be met (all other guidelines are superfluous): a) Flexibility: Does the name transcend price categorization? Is it sufficiently broad enough to allow changes in the product/service? b) Pleasant-sounding: Is the name easy to say and hear? Does the sound of the name get the point across? - Seth Godin
Thirty percent of new product failures had a concept that met no clear need. - Thomas Poole
The level of detail in a Product Requirements Document is directly proportional to the amount of offshore outsourcing used to fulfill it. - Ben Casnocha
If customers have to wait, developers have to promise. - Dave Jilk
Are you listening to the end-users of your product/service? They may be saying something you should be paying attention to. - Phil Knight
If you can't close deals with a minimal feature set, rethink the value proposition and customer segmentation. DO NOT keep adding stuff to the product.
- Rahul Roy-Chowdhury
Sound planning in the early stages of product development is a crucial step on the path to production. - Matt Kelly
Good product development is about working to keep the sharp edges instead of smoothing them over. Create a product some people love, not something no one hates. - Kathy Sierra
The schedule should drive the feature set, not the other way around. - Scott Hampton
In product development, the electrical engineering rule applies: "When in doubt, dike (cut) it out!" - Scott Hampton
If your new product . . . can't make someone respond with "Holy Crap!," then don't expect big things out of it. - Brett Duncan
It’s time to start rethinking how we work with clients. Too often we end up working for them and while we might build them what they want… we might not be giving them what they need. - Robby Russell
People have emotional attachments, pet ideas, favorite ways of doing things, and they are quick to impose those, under the guise of “business requirements”. — Brian Ford
If at least 20% of our users will use a feature, we'll add it. - Marissa Mayer (source.)