Just make the decision

You won't get it right the first try

One product truth I continue to learn the hard way is that no matter what you’re building, you won’t get it right the first try. Accepting and adapting to this truth means you can make quicker product decisions.

You won’t get it right the first try, so you should limit the blast radius in case you’ve made a grave error.

You won’t get it right the first try, so it should be easy to roll back.

You won’t get it right the first try, so you should learn why it’s wrong as soon as possible.

You won’t get it right the first try. How will you know without a clear outcome to measure?

You won’t get it right the first try, so you should plan to try again. And again.

You won’t get it right the first try. But that’s okay. Most product decisions are reversible. There’s always more research to do, but nothing beats a product in customer’s hands.

Sometimes, you will get it right the first try. And—if you are truly learning from your customers after each try—you will get it right more often.

But don’t expect it.

Just make the decision.