culled from:entrepreneur.com
1. Self-inflicted scope creep.
Scope
creep, in any form, is dangerous. But the worst kind is the one that
entrepreneurs impose on themselves. Self-inflicted scope creep can
happen under two circumstances
Entrepreneurs should be careful
to not misinterpret requirements or use cases from their customers in a
way so their plans overreach and attempt to solve issues outside
what’s absolutely necessary.
In addition entrepreneurs often
become distracted by excitement that comes with building something fresh
or adding a cool new features to a product. This zeal can often hide
the real problem at hand and can prompt the entrepreneur to gloss over
better, cheaper or more suitable ways for solving a problem. In the
pursuit of new technology and bigger, better features, valuable time and
resources can get lost.
The discipline to avoid self-inflicted
scope creep does not come easy can can often take years to develop. Here
are some tips to develop this discipline:
Write down use cases in the words of your users.
Perform a root-cause analysis of the problem.
Do a desired-state analysis.
Brainstorm about ways to solving the problem for your customers.
Test the solution’s concept with real users.
2. Fragmented mindshare across multiple initiatives.
Another
common distraction for startup leaders is attempting to have the same
team focus on multiple large initiatives at the same time. Fragmenting
the thought processes of staffers across different complex problems
reduces their ability to function and deliver results.
This lack
of central focus prolongs the problem solving for the projects and
forces team members to make tradeoffs across all initiatives to try to
progress in parallel across all fronts. Staffers also pay a high price
when they switch their context as they move between these diverse
initiatives.
Here are some tips to detect when you might be in this situation:
You are attempting to solve multiple distinct problems.
All at the same time, you’re addressing the needs of distinct segments of users and use cases.
You’re building several complex, multifaceted value propositions simultaneously.
The people who are finding solutions are working on all problems at once.
3. A disorganized operation.
A
frequently occurring distraction crops up in a disorganized enterprise.
Given that time is limited, entrepreneurs are tasked with not only
dealing with multiple issues at once but also leading their teams to
make progress.
With aggressive growth, organizations can
evolve organically and this can lead to multiple centers of power or
expertise on the same or similar features or technologies.
Disorganization can lead to multiple parallel efforts to solve the same
or similar problems.
Here are some tips to ensure that you’re organized for success:
Organize around primary customer use cases and tasks.
Ensure a consistent user experience across your product’s surface area.
Overcommunicate and develop shared goals when multiple teams are tasked with building similar components and experiences.
