Jared Salois

Under our first contract we were late on nearly every delivery. Not because we rushed. The opposite, we kept polishing.

What it actually taught us: being critical earlier, making harder cutthroat calls on scope, and owning misses instead of explaining them.

The uncomfortable part is that "we care about quality" was the excuse, but the real problem was we couldn't say no to our own ideas.

Anyone else had a first client that basically beat product discipline into them? What did it cost you and what did it teach you?

Classic early-stage mistake, sharing it so you can skip it.

We assumed gamification would drive engagement from day one. Badges, progress bars, real-time feedback. We even built a full leaderboard before launch.

Then we stepped back and realized: a leaderboard is a multiplier. It amplifies engagement that already exists.

If the core loop isn't working yet, it just multiplies zero.

I strongly believe the first 1,000 users should be chosen for learning, not reach.

At this stage, raw signup volume can hide more than it reveals. What matters is whether users experience the problem often, try the product in real workflows, and give feedback that leads to better onboarding, positioning, and product decisions.