Setting a launch date for your website can be as tough as launching a space mission. I've been dealing with this same problem with my online invoicing startup Due for the past six months. With this video from StartupGrind , discover what successful entrepreneurs and investors say to do when it looks like failure to launch is in your future.
Remember: The timing will never be perfect.
There will be a lot of things out of your control, but there are also many things in your control. Focus on the latter. Eventbrite’s Julia Hartz says, “We believe in rapid iteration, we believe in putting the best viable product out there,” and then looking at how consumers respond to it. “Our users…come up with the most creative things that we could never have imagined,” she says. At times, it’s your users who will tell you when to launch a new product, upgrade, business, or service.
However, for Patrick Lee of Rotten Tomatoes, the answer is simple: “I think you should try to do it as soon as possible.” Otherwise, you might get stuck constantly “improving” and modifying things until you’re left with a dream and not a business. “The really important thing is to just put it out there and see what happens.” This may not work for a brick and mortar establishment, but for a wholly online business like Rotten Tomatoes that will never be “done”, diving in can be a good strategy.
Are We There Yet?
According to Lee, sometimes you really just don’t know what’s a winner and what’s a loser until you put it out there and see. There are some instances where a product or business seems like a sure thing, but then it flops. The opposite is also true. You can waste a lot of time and money by putting off a launch. “Put it out there, put it out there quickly and as cheaply as possible, and just see how people respond to that.” The whole pushing your kid into a pool to force them to swim can sometimes work in business, too.
As for Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, it’s all about having a bunch of ideas and narrowing it down to the best one. Once you’ve determined that, you’re ready to launch. “When you reach the point where you have enough scoping of the road…then pick a path and commit to it and stay with it.” It’s so easy for entrepreneurs to get distracted, second guess themselves, or push a deadline just a little bit more. But, that is one of the most dangerous things you can do.
The Band-Aid Approach
No matter what your product or business is, launching it isn’t nearly as scary as you think it’ll be. Uberconference’s Craig Walker says as soon as his team feels comfortable, they just release it. “Whatever it takes to make it better,” is Walker’s motto when considering the first version of a product. There are always ways to change it, adapt it and improve upon it. However, you won’t find out what those angles are unless it’s been launched.
Mikkel Svane agrees, saying, “Just set a date” is the best way to get your business launched. He admits he could work on a business plan or product forever—but that’s now how business grows. It grows by launching, and yet that’s the step where many entrepreneurs falter.
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