#6 Deciding What to Build First - (Launchdarkly) Edith Harbaugh | Slush 2022

Edith Harbaugh

"Learn how to prioritize, iterate, and launch products successfully with Edith Harbaugh's insights on feature flagging, technical debt, and customer feedback, as she shares practical tips for early-stage startups at Slush 2022."

Key takeaways
  • Early days of a startup are about listening and iterating
  • Feature flagging is critical for avoiding technical debt
  • Low-quality software is often a result of lack of feature management
  • Product managers often have to convince engineers to adopt new tools
  • Customer feedback can be valuable, even if negative
  • Pricing strategy should be flexible and based on customer needs
  • Communicate clearly and transparently with customers and employees
  • Consistency in software development is key to success
  • Find problems that customers are willing to pay to solve
  • Technical debt can be hidden or ignored, but it will eventually surface
  • Seek feedback from users and customers to improve products
  • Build a system that allows for scalability and flexibility
  • Become knowledgeable about your product and its limitations
  • Use user research to inform product decisions
  • Don’t be afraid to pivot or change course if needed
  • Approach product development with humility and a willingness to learn