Over-thinking it? Usually. But creating the “beta signup to see something when we have something” page for the site is harder than it seems. Does every successful website do this? Yes. Should we do this? Yes.
We’re doing it.
But that’s not going to stop me from questioning it the whole way through.
I tried to explain my thoughts to my partner with, “It’s like a talking fetus. The product isn’t built slash born yet, so why is it talking to anyone? It just feels unnatural. I have no idea what a talking fetus says.” (Can you believe I actually get to work with people who understand/appreciate that whacked-out analogy? Yes, I do get down on my knees and thank my lucky stars about that every day.)
They also understand that making the marketing for a product before the product is both common and profoundly inefficient. If you put all your effort into the product, “marketing” is just a proper introduction. Once the fetus is a baby, you can take it’s picture and give it a name, and send out birth announcements.
Later I explained, again, “You know the signup page is like approaching a girl at a bar and immediately asking for her phone number. Who does that? You’re not even offering to buy her a drink!”
So yes, it’s taken far longer than seems right to finish the sign up page. And I’ve been judging myself pretty harshly for that. “Just Ship! Just Ship! appears from everywhere and screams in my ears. For the last months I’ve felt like there’s a big rope around my waist, cartoon-style, pulling me forward with major velocity. (This pervasive sense that time running out, is likely fear of poverty or death, or just my usual impatience ratcheted up a few notches.) It’s almost a physical struggle to stand still, to NOT ship. But it’s not ready.
I’ve searched for a hidden, self-destructive fear beyond my consciousness and if there is some deep, dark reason I’m unaware of that is stopping me, I can’t find it. Sometimes, Mr. Freud, not ready is just not ready. I have to trust that after all these years of making many many things on a punishing schedule, I know when good enough is good enough, and when it’s not. (That’s how eight people got 32 issues out the door each year.)
I have to figure out what this fetus looks like and sounds to get a girl to agree to a date. But I’ll settle for keeping her from running away in horror.
(I like a low bar)
BUILDING IT 