Nobody is here to make good products.

We’re all here to make great products. 

But what makes a product great? It's a combination of things – feel, utility, context, pragmatism, charm. Greatness is about getting the dials of dozens of these elements tuned just right.

How do we get there?

One helpful tool is to consider your inputs.

‍If you’re making a caprese salad, the quality of your tomatoes, basil and mozzarella matter. 

The same logic applies to products. Greatness is a function of applied creativity. And at its centre, creativity is an exposure game – your inputs matter. So one path to great is to maximize the “retrievability” of analogous things that are similar to the problem you are solving. Pay attention to the things that make it specifically great. Humans are naturally good at this – we are pattern matching machines. 

Better inputs, better products.

But wait. There is also a multiplier – collaboration. When a few people (or a lot) combine inputs, it widens the breadth of our thinking. Link up with people close to you. 

Focusing on inputs is a daily practice and a fun one. How do you stay fresh?