10 INSIGHTS YOU NEED 
TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR DREAM PROJECT

1

CLARITY FIRST

Before you do anything, get super clear about what you are really offering the world and why. What problem are you solving? Why does the world need this? Who is your audience? There is nothing more expensive than trying to develop a fuzzy idea.  Give yourself permission to really discover the big details about your offering. The small details can be addressed later, but get clear about your who, what, when, where, and why. 

2

GO SMALL TO GET BIG

When starting a new project, we usually have lots of ideas. Trust me they will just keep coming.  A huge barrier to getting yourself out there is complexity and overwhelm. Ask yourself "What is the smallest and most simple version of my idea that offers value to my users?" Using this approach, you should be able launch your offering in months rather than years.  This doesn't mean you give up your big ideas, you just break it up into smaller steps.

3

ITERATE & EVOLVE

Take an iterative approach to everything you do. Your offering will evolve as you learn more about your users, market, and doing business.  Small changes are much easier to manage than big ones.  They allow you to observe what impacts your business in a positive and negative way. Changing too many things at once is often confusing to users as well, so evolve your product mindfully, a little bit at a time.

4

FOCUS ON VALUE

As your product evolves you will have a million ideas. Let value be your compass. Sometimes we  get attached to ideas that keep us from moving forward. When making a decision about anything you do, ask yourself if it adds value. I see this a lot in the brand building phase of projects. Clients are married to a specific level of sophistication in their materials which can get really expensive. If it doesn't add value, consider throwing it out no matter how much you are in love with the idea. I know its hard, but moving forward is more important than anything. 

5

EMBRACE SIMPLICITY

Simplicity is one of the most effective values to employ in all phases of your project. If something feels complicated, it is a good time to reflect. When I experience this, I refer to it as "Something Smells. " Take some time to review the previous three points in this list. Can it be made smaller? Am I doing too much at once? Is this valuable? If things are still feeling complicated, call me for a consultation:)

6

IMITATE

We often have the tendency to try to create everything from scratch. Our e-mails, our website, our language, whatever. Resist the temptation to spend your resources this way and copy everything you can. Imitation is the best form of flattery (as long as we aren't violating copyrights of course). We are all evolving and growing together and there is nothing wrong with re-purposing something that has already been created that we know works. 

7

"UX" IS EVERYTHING

UX stands for "User Experience", which relates to the quality of experience you are creating for users as they navigate your process. Is it easy and intuitive? Does it provide a solution for something they are really experiencing? Does it meet a real need? Are you addressing the barriers and objections that exist for them proactively? These are just some of the questions that can help you create a strategy to an excellent user experience.  When you have a great user experience, your offering can really sell itself by becoming irresistible to the users that need it. 

8

BUILD YOUR TEAM

It is so tempting for us entrepreneurs to try to go it totally alone. We are independent, motivated, and confident. We love to learn and we are not afraid to get our hands dirty.  I love those qualities, but it will pay to surround yourself with experts, especially at key stages of your project and when making decisions. Aligning yourself with experts who have walked a similar path might sound expensive at first, but learning the hard way is always more expensive in my experience. Calculate how much your time is worth and then ask yourself what tasks are worth your time.  Create a team of advisors that you can consult with when you need to!

9

ACCEPT & EMBRACE CHANGE

When I first started working on the web, change was slow.  We would get 2 to 5 years out of a good website, spending lots of time building it and then forgetting about it.  Today, the idea of a static website or product is obsolete. When we accept that our digital presence is like a living organism that needs the proper food and attention to thrive, we can proactively adapt in small but impactful ways to stay relevant and effective.  Try not to get attached to the tools and approaches that have worked for you; they are always changing. This is why I'm technology agnostic. There are only a few products and service providers that have my total loyalty. 

10

START

Lot's of ideas never get off the ground because of what we call "Analysis Paralysis." Face it. Most of us entrepreneurs have some perfectionistic and over-achieving tendencies and we care A LOT. I don't want you to give up those qualities; I celebrate them! I do believe that if you consider the insights provided here, you can really have a big advantage.  In software development, we have a philosophy called  "Fail Early, Fail Often." It refers to the insight that we can learn a lot from something that doesn't work, and so we try lots of things, measure, and then realign. We always start with the clarity that we achieved by asking the big questions, and then we test it in real life.  You don't have to get it perfect, you just have to start!

I hope you found value in these 10 insights. I want you to have every advantage to bring your big idea to the world. I have found that these principles are universal in most aspects of life. They are powerful. Keep a lookout for more from Keya UNIVERSE-IT and contact me for a brainstorming and consultation session if you have any questions!