10 Pieces of Advice for Startup Teams

1. Do not put UI designers and frontend engineers in the tech group; place them in the product group instead.

2. Do not rely solely on designers to design the product; mobilize everyone involved.

3. Do not get misled by users. Apart from user interviews before project initiation, conduct usability testing only prior to launching the first phase of the product.

4. Do not obsess over new technologies; use the simplest methods to achieve the most basic product architecture and functionality.

5. Do not wait until the product is perfect before releasing it. Do not change the product direction until users have had sufficient opportunity to use it.

6. Do not let investors interfere with product details. A product can only have one core focus—because everyone may be right in their own way.

7. Do not rely entirely on documents to record thought processes; diagrams are a better way to document.

8. Do not copy several famous foreign products and combine them into your own product. Do not blindly worship Facebook.

9. Do not let operations dictate the direction of the product; the product structure should only change based on user needs.

0. Do not rush to present all the highlights of the product to users at once; give them only what they need the most.

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These thoughts are inspired by disappointment with a certain project.