Creating great music is not like what you see in the movies.

It’s not as simple as getting an idea, turning it into music, that then becomes an instant hit.  

On the contrary, the path is never straight forward.

It starts with an idea that the artist thinks is going to be a hit.  But the real magic is in what happens next.  

Instead of going straight to recording.  The artist adjusts, pivots, tweaks the idea based on feedback. Continues to refine it. 

Until they stumble upon a hit.  

The first idea is never the best idea. It’s only a starting point.

Artists intuitively know this.

Which is why none of their finished music sounds anything like the first version.

They know that to hit, they need to first move past the initial idea. Invest in discovery. So that they can come across a better idea.

For them, the first idea is only a starting point.

I wish more product managers would do the same.

Instead of rushing to build the very first plausible solution that comes to mind.

I wish product managers would do what the artists do. That they too would move past the first idea. Put in the time to uncover a better solution / idea. And then build.

Unfortunately, most product managers don’t do that.

They stick to the first idea. They never go past it.

So how do you get to your best idea?   

The next time you come up with an idea.  Don’t rush to build.

Consider doing the following instead.

1. Come Up With Alternatives:  Force yourself and your team to come up with at least 5 – 10 alternatives ideas / solutions.  It’s not as hard as you think. Here is how. 
2. Build Prototypes:  Identify the 2 – 3 most promising ideas and build a prototype.  Does not have to be fancy.  Paper and pencil for the first iteration will do. If you don’t like to draw, consider these 5 other options.  
3. Get Feedback:  Show prototypes to your users and gather feedback.  The best solutions will naturally buddle to the top. 
4. Iterate! Iterate! Iterate!: Take the best solutions so far and continue to build on it. Get feedback. Make it better. This is where the best ideas will come from.
5. Build Small.  Even now, don’t rush to build everything.  Carve out the smallest MVP.  Continue to gather feedback (post launch).  So that you can adjust, iterate, and keep moving closer to creating your product hit.

Keep the above process short and tight.  Ideally no more than 6 – 8 weeks.  Where every week you prototype, adjust, and improve till you think you have come across the right solution.

Do this well enough.  And like the artists, you will also end up with a product hit that you always wanted.   

Happy building!!