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

"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