3 Tips To Help You Ship Your Product Today.

A million ideas in your head? Trying to finalize your product, service or latest project? Or you are just starting?

Stop. Ship. Now. Year is almost over. Your competitor is already doing it.

I didn’t coin the phrase “Ship it.” Seth Godin did. If you’re like me, you have a million and one ideas that you’re trying to press into your new brain child.

Guess what it’s doing to it? Delaying it.

Here are the ways I attempt to push ideas to ship.

What we are learning

• How to organize the ideas quickly
• First to market
• Simplifying your idea
• Getting it out the door

1. Write Down Your Projects

Not in a spreadsheet, not in a text editor and not in an e-mail to yourself. Grab a real paper notebook and write them down. Each on an individual sheet of paper. I even go as far as sketching out the idea if you can’t write out all the words to describe it.

The act of sketching it out will inherently cut out the fat we’re looking to drop.

2. Go 3 Or Go Home

I love to work in three’s. (see: this very post)

“The Big 3” is the phrase I usually run with on a new project.

On each individual project paper – list out all the important “parts” that make up your product. Every piece you have envisioned that makes the entire thing work.

Now circle the most important 3 features, functions or selling points you would need in order to ship this sucker tomorrow.

3. Do The Do

Look at all your sheets of paper representing your ideas.

Now ask yourself, “which one of the ideas can I ship tomorrow”

Place it in front of you. Glare at the The Big 3 and ask yourself, “Which one major feature do I need to ship this Today?”

Now get it out the door.

Why This Is Important

There’s something to be said about first to market. If your sitting back, refining and touching up, someone else is getting out there and getting in people’s faces.

It’s all about the eyeballs – right?

You may have all the badass bells and whistles. The most shiny new features. But if your competitor is already on the streets selling – they are one step ahead.

“If you aren’t embarrassed by the first version of the product, you waited too long.” – Jason Fried

I didn’t even proofread this post – I shipped it!

Post your thoughts below!