23 Simple Tips for Bootstrapping Product Development

The first step is to start talking to people about the idea.
An MVP is the starting point for product market fit.
Ask yourself what the minimum feature set to get user feedback is, and start getting feedback.
An MVP helps you prioritize development, and ensures that the team is on the same page.
Have a clear vision and create a common language to describe your product.
Start simple, get it out the door, iterate quickly, and repeat.
Start with people you know, then to your customers.
Collect feedback often.
Know your customer.
Be open as possible about feedback, don’t get defensive.
Let your customers surprise you.
Ask yourself which actions you want users to take.
Collect data.
If your product sucks, don’t worry. No one knows you.
Plan to be embarrassed by your first product, it will help you get it out quicker.
Retaining users is more important than gaining users.
The founder should answer (or at least read) all customer support emails for the first year.
A/B testing changes for a week is more productive than debating about it for a week.
No one has made anything too simple.
Pick your priorities.
Don’t add new revenue models until you’ve secured one.
Do what feels natural to you.
Delight your customers.

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