Shipping Products That Work

There's a difference between shipping fast and shipping poorly. Over the years, I've learned how to do the former without the latter.

Define "Done" First

Before writing code, I define what success looks like. Not in vague terms, but specific, measurable outcomes. What problem are we solving? How will users know it's solved?

This clarity saves countless hours of building the wrong thing.

Lean Doesn't Mean Lazy

When I build lean, I'm not cutting corners. I'm making deliberate choices about what matters now versus what can wait. Every line of code should serve a purpose.

The code I write for a quick prototype is still clean, tested, and maintainable. Because "temporary" code has a way of becoming permanent.

The Speed/Quality Trade-off is a Myth

People often assume you can have speed or quality, but not both. I disagree. The key is knowing your tools so well that quality becomes automatic.

When I reach for TypeScript, I'm not slowing down—I'm preventing future bugs. When I write tests, I'm not wasting time—I'm buying confidence to move faster.

Real Problems, Real Solutions

The best products solve real problems for real people. Not hypothetical problems, not edge cases that affect 0.1% of users—real, everyday friction that makes people's lives harder.

When you focus on this, prioritization becomes easy. Just ask: "What's the most painful thing right now?" Then fix that.

Conclusion

Shipping products that work isn't about being the fastest coder or having the most elegant architecture. It's about understanding what matters, building exactly that, and iterating based on feedback.

Simple in concept. Hard in practice. Worth the effort.