Where to start: Embracing the Product Mindset

published date Dec 17, 2024

“Where to start?”—a simple yet daunting question I face with every project. It’s the first hurdle that forces clarity and focus. Here’s how I approached it for my latest project:

Breaking It Down: From Chaos to Clarity

Every project begins with a flurry of ideas, aspirations, and uncertainties. To find a way forward, I resort to a series of questions, peeling back the layers until I uncover the essence of what I want to achieve. Here’s how my thought process unfolded for this particular endeavor:

  1. What should I build?

I sat down with the proverbial blank slate and asked myself, “What truly excites me?” The answer came swiftly: A knowledge base of Star Trek, capturing the rich tapestry of its plotlines, fan theories, and iconic taglines. A lofty goal, indeed—but one worth pursuing for a fan like me.

  1. Where will I find this information?

Ah, the vast expanse of the internet—a treasure trove of resources but also a labyrinth of endless rabbit holes. I acknowledged the overwhelming nature of the task. After all, collating information from countless sources requires not only effort but discernment. So, I leaned into the mindset of experimentation: “Let’s start searching and see what emerges.”

  1. Can I simplify my scope?

Realizing the enormity of my ambitions, I posed another critical question: “What if I began with just the plotlines?”

This small, iterative approach gave me a manageable starting point while keeping the bigger vision intact.

The Product Mindset

What’s fascinating about this journey is how it mirrors the essence of the product mindset—a mindset that transforms raw ideas into tangible outcomes through deliberate thinking and incremental progress. Here’s the catch, though: when you’re building solo, you lack the structured support system of a full-fledged product team.

Consider the typical roles in a project:

  1. Product Manager crafting a detailed PRD (Product Requirements Document).
  2. Designer creating pixel-perfect mocks to visualize the end goal.
  3. Architect engineering the system’s blueprint for seamless execution.
  4. Manager who sets deadlines and clears the roadblocks.
  5. Dedicated Developers focusing solely on specific areas of the product.

When you’re flying solo, all of these hats sit firmly on your own head. You are the planner, the designer, the engineer, and the executor—all rolled into one. It’s a daunting prospect, but it’s also liberating. The absence of rigid hierarchies and predefined processes means you have the freedom to adapt, iterate, and experiment on your own terms.

The Takeaway

  1. Start small.
  2. Focus on the essentials.
  3. Iterate as you go.

Every small step gets you closer to the moment where you can proudly say, “This is exactly what I wanted!”.

Building something meaningful is a journey—one fueled by questions, creativity, and perseverance.

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