Giving Yourself Advice

I’m good at giving advice. If I hear a problem or see design flaws I can be quick to point them out. Even fairly polished designs have flaws and I can quickly find them. If your product isn’t selling well I have a half a dozen ideas on how you could improve your marketing and what you should be doing to build a better company.

So how does this apply to my own projects? Generally it doesn’t. If it is my software, especially if I am both the designer and the developer, I am more hesitant to fix the small issues. I know just how much work is required to fix the minor interface issue, so I put it off. Or because I am so close to the project I don’t see the issue at all.

When it comes to marketing I may know what needs to be done to increase app sales, but it takes time and effort to implement. So I rationalize how it is an acceptable issue. This just reminds me how easy it is to give advice, but how poorly I receive it.

So what’s the solution?

Pretend your product or company belongs to someone else. What would you tell them they need to fix? Be ruthless, the only feelings to hurt are your own.

That list that you create becomes your checklist for creating a great product or marketing plan. Implement it step by step.

And finally when giving advice to others always remember that there is more to the problem then you, as an outsider, can see.