It’s been a while I didn’t write on a good old hot take. Allow me to back this one with both personal experiences AND actual science.
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“In startups, you’re either fast or forgotten.”
“It’s now or never.”
“We need to ship this on [insert unrealistic deadline] or we’re dead.”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to read this in my career. And I’m already tired knowing that I’ll have to hear this for years to come.
I’m not mad about the fact that, yes, you need to be fast to compete. Especially in Builder Mode, where velocity is an unfair advantage.
I’m just upset there is absolutely no nuance in the industry.
It’s been drilled into our heads since the Facebook early days “Move fast and break things”.
Well, it didn’t age that well.
The work that truly resonates, the icons, the products that change industries, they weren’t microwaved.
They were slow-cooked.
We all love a good dose of rush adrenaline. When you’re in the zone.
Together with my previous design teams, we coined the term BDM “Bouses de Dernière Minute” (last minute craps).Those chaotic, last-minute designs you’re ashamed to put in front of stakeholders for reviews.
We’ve had our fair share of those, yet some of them ended up magical, sometimes shipped overnight to millions.
But most of time, let’s be honest.
Creativity and excellence need time.
