Software developments (including web-based/cloud apps) are very different from physical goods manufacturing in a sense that you can choose to release your product prematurely and iterate later. Nice.

The timing of your release can make it or break it

But with this option comes another decision making headache to endure. Literally there’s no right or wrong in how you choose the timing and version of your release. There are 2 ways that you can see to it.

Release Earliest Possible

The Getting Real philosophy (curated by the people at 37Signals, founding developers of Ruby on Rails framework) advocates the “Release Early, Release Often” approach with introducing “Half-A-Product, Not Half-Ass Product” early on and improving it later.

Thousands of software developers have been inspired by their Getting Real concept including us here.

But that’s not all to it..

Release When It’s Awesome

But Joel Spolsky (CEO of THE Stack Exchange/Stack Overflow), meanwhile, suggested a slightly different approach.

With that, he underscores the importance of releasing a really good product on the launching date, as with the case of his latest project Trello (Check it out! We’re using it!)

This is a valid way to see it too, but he also used a closed private beta (a hundred of closed friends!) to cover up the feedback gathering stage that the Getting Real emphasized on in releasing early.

The considerations..

...depends on your resources.

Our team here at Fulkrum Interactive deals with product launch decisions several times a year (the Apple App Store ‘New Apps List’ can really make a difference in market traction if the time is right), so we recommend you to pounce upon these questions:

• Do you have enough private testers to help you refine your product pre-launch?
• Is there any significant event (as in expos and conference) that you can launch your product into the limelight?
• Do you think your core, basic product is the same as the current competitors’, but the add-ons are what make it stand up?
• Do you think your product is not time-sensitive (time-sensitive project like developing using the ever-changing iOS SDK)
• Do you use any outside platform which policy is somewhat volatile? (like third-party APIs)
• Do you already have the funds needed for your early operation?
• Do you have a complete team in-place to execute the big idea?

What our team learned during Silicon Valley Comes To Malaysia:

Ideas are worthless

This is where ideas go into between your eureka moment and your viability study

Ideas worth nothing to VCs and investors unless you’re capable of executing them. Sometimes we’re too excited about our world-changing ideas only to be disappointed when people with money dismissed them. Here’s h0w you can make your idea valuable:

• Have the right team or partner in-place which/who is capable in at least in technically overseeing the concept
• Come out with a prototype that shows you’re technically sure the concept can work
• Pattern nah….
• Quote someone credible who have listened and approved your idea, if there’s any (don’t miss any pitching session even if you don’t need the money)

Failure is a path

In start-up entrepreneurship where operational history is close to none, failure is no longer considered a challenge. It’s a route that we must travel. Here are the stages of failures that one has to visit occasionally.

• Failure to get funding
• Failure to complete the product/product not working
• Failure to release the product in time
• Failure to successfully market the product
• Total project failure because the product concept is too lame (oh well..)

Passion trumps everything

As the world of start-up entrepreneurship is notorious with the above-mentioned failures, salary, equity and other material rewards can no-longer guarantee a sustainable commitment and motivation among your team members. Passion is the only fuel. Build a cult following around your idea.

People willing to go to great length based on passion. Great length.

If people is not passionate enough about your idea, maybe:

• You’re talking to the wrong people (a golfer can’t judge a baseball player’s swing quality)
• You can’t communicate your ideals well thus it’s not understood fully
• Your idea just won’t work, which makes ‘passion’ a viable tool to measure your project ‘potential’ sometimes

Action vs inaction

Get out and do something. We’ll learn more from our action rather than our endless research, SWOT analysis, ROI Estimation, Cost vs Benefit study, and counseling. Inaction can cost as dearly too:

A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.
-John Stuart Mill

What are we waiting for?

Action! A small step may start a giant leap.

Good luck fellas.