Fieldnotes ISSUE 01 / FOR PEOPLE BUILDING THINGS |
THE FIRST QUESTION Who needs this
enough to try it? |
Begin with the smallest useful promise.A startup idea becomes clearer when you can describe one person, one problem and one thing they can try. This sample issue starts there: with a useful first step, not a forecast. Read the field notes → |
On the reading listShow the workflowA concrete example lets someone assess the product in their own terms. Make the first result portableGive the user something they can keep, share or use in their existing tools. Ask what changedAfter the first trial, learn which part helped and which part got in the way. |
Notes for the next buildA questionWhat can someone finish today? | A constraintWhat can you leave out? |
Keep these questions close to the next thing you build. They are small enough to answer today—and useful enough to ask again tomorrow. |
Fieldnotes · Fictional brand / original design study.
Prepared example by Mailbox Mode. Products and workflows are illustrative. No affiliation with Y Combinator. |