Subtraction As Product Innovation

We should be removing 10% of what doesn't work in our product innovation annually. Exactly the same way Jack Welch removed 10% of his underperforming workers in GE.

I'm so sick of adding more. To a platform, to a product, to marketing complexity & communication.

Tired of the same excited conversations that end up reaping very little reward.

For the 10 exciting features we discuss. 7 fail miserably, 2 are profitable, 1 a clear winner.

We've heard of 'Lean Startup' methods and various other ways to focus on highly impactful ways to get to product market fit. But we are humans, completely flawed, skin bags of emotion.

What's so wrong with throwing a few parts of what we have to the curb. In my hometown of Brisbane we have an annual roadside dump day to get rid of our unwanted possessions. People go through suburbs salvaging what could be recycled or repurposed. But mostly it's absolute garbage. It's out there for a reason. That it merely should no longer be.

Why shouldn't your product have parts lopped off or completely thrown out. Whether it's your marketing is junk or the feature half-baked.

Take it out the back and shoot it.

Or bring it back to life in a new way.

Or test it better next time with a core group of users who might just love the weird and quirky idea you once had.