What I meant is that you need to have the belief that you're never at your goal. You are constantly critiquing yourself and producing good work.
"You don't know shit" is a constant reminder that you need to try harder--that you haven't figured everything out. You need to live in a state of paranoia that others are just about to release something greater.
That certainly would be a reminder to get something out the door and solicit user feedback. However, I believe it helps to stay positive, so I would also tape up something motivational like "Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." –Conrad Hilton
Really, it depends on your personality, and your ego.
See, some people are irritated or shocked by my self-deprecation. The thing is, I would be absolutely insufferable if I let my ego out. I do it every now and then, you know. Most startups are populated by people who have egos that can rival mine, in part because having an ego that large makes you think you can do it better than everyone else, and in part because investors tend to prefer confident people. (I personally think investors are morons in this regard, but what do I know? Managers seem to agree with them. I have seen my more capable but less confident peers get passed over for me or someone like me more times than I can count.)
For me, Yeah, I constantly need to remind myself I don't know everything, or else I end up doing something really stupid. You know I once got into a mailing list argument with Lee Felsenstein about how to run a computer club? Yeah, I looked pretty stupid. See, that's the sort of thing that happens if I don't keep my ego in check.
I know many people who are more capable than I am in every respect who don't have that massive ego. Yeah, for one of those people (who I think would be excellent founders, some of them.) 'you don't know shit' would be a bad thing to remind them. Yes, for them, you'd probably want something positive and encouraging. But for someone like me? "You don't know shit" is quite appropriate.
Agree. And if you want to get specific about that quote as it relates to product dev, read up Eric Reis/Steve Blank.
I actually feel relieved since I have come to the realization that your dies are not inherently supposed to work. They are mere hypothesis until proven by the market. It is true for every entrepreneur--no matter how successful.
Are you sure? I don't know if this applies in the world of startups, but in the broad world of "business", having a pigheaded belief in your own talent is almost necessary.
I don't see why it wouldn't be an asset for a startup founder to be brimming with confidence in his own product.
because most startups dont know anything, they have an idea that was shaped from their experience and assumptions about how the market will react to it.
Once you appreciate that these things arent much more than educated guesses, you can be a lot more focussed actually determining how people react to your product, as opposed to going off and coding what noone wants.
My advice (well, others said this before, but my experience confirmed it) is to build your first product the way you like it. If you are happy with the product and you really enjoy using it then you already have one customer :). And I am ready to bet others will come.
On the other hand trying to fulfill every customer wish and implement all features users suggest is not every time a good idea. Usually it leads to an over complex product that is not well adapted to "young markets" of "untrained" customers. Is like trying to sell them a dvr enabled TV set when they just learn how to change channels.
Then get back to work.