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