Because I like to see all the components at one time.

It’s all right there on my wall, in front of me…

The steps the user will go through when using my product have been close to finalized for one component.  In order to really ’see’ it, I printed out each page/step and then put them on my wall in the order they will be seen by the user.  There is something about looking at the full story, printed out and in front of me that gives me a sense of what changes need to be made.  I love looking at each step and analyzing how it can be made more simple, less cumbersome, more intuitive.

It’s so much more ‘tangible’…

The other reason I love to do this… I can really ’see’ my product coming to life.  It always feels more real when I can look at my wireframes all together.  It’s a satisfying feeling… to see all the work done in front of a computer screen in a more physical way.

Then I take my pen out…

And I edit, and edit and edit some more.  I find all the little things that were missed, don’t need to be there, don’t make sense.  I determine where copy will be needed, where error messages may be needed, where there are unintentional road blocks.

For me, it’s a fun process and is one that works for me.

Would love to hear how you go about product looking at your product specs and making changes during development!

If it was easy, everybody would do it” – Tweet by @venturehacks that was a great reminder!

I have made it over the mountain of doubt…

I am now completely entrenched in my product and business.  It is no longer an either/or question.  It is now about… when will this be done? When can we go into alpha? When will the product be ready for show and tell?  When can I start to announce this to a broader audience?

Development changed everything…

There is a big difference between thinking about an idea and moving into developing the idea.  For me, it has taken the project from a ‘what if?’ to ‘what’s next?’  There are questions every single day, critical elements needed to go to the next step, items that appeared simple that are now in the critical path and have issues.

It. is. EXHILARATING!

I have fun… every single day…

Even when it is stressful, it is fun.  I now understand what other company owners/founders mean when they say it is fun, even when stressful and hard.  In fact, for me, I’m finding that it is when the hard stuff hits, I find it even more interesting and dare I say it, fun!  Figuring things out… from the budget to the product spec to the marketing.  There are definitely pieces I like less than others, but when I put everything together and look at it, I am excited and intrigued.

Exhausting… yes, sometimes…

Seriously.  Especially now that it is really in development.  There are things that must get done or else the timeline suffers.  There are things to think about that affect today that are just as important as the things that must get done so we’re ready for tomorrow.  The amount of thinking energy that is required is extremely high.  There are times that I may appear to be doing nothing because I’m not in front of my computer or on the phone.  But sometimes, this is when I’m the most focused and getting the most done.  Do this long enough, and the mind gets tired, and the body follows suit.

But you know what… it has made me more alive than I’ve been in a long time…

Because it is always a challenge.  No day is the same, ever!  I’m being pushed, and I’m enjoying the challenge.  To take a group of issues at any given time and figure out how to solve them is so rewarding that it literally wakes me up.  Even when I’m exhausted, I can feel the energy of the challenge bringing me to life!  In every job I’ve ever had, I’ve been the one to go into ‘chaotic, messy, need to get it done under extreme circumstances’ projects and pull them together.  This is when I thrive… and it turns out… running a start-up… is pretty much this set-up… every. day.  I’m in my sweet spot, and the added bonus is that it is my company and product in an industry I LOVE.

I know I’m where I’m supposed to be…

There is no doubt that this is where my body and soul want to be.  I feel comfortable in my role, doing what I’m doing.  I absolutely love the thrill of figuring things out that seem impossible or too hard.  I like to work with a small group of people who can focus on the problem and get it done.  To pull resources from various places, at the right times, to get the project where it needs to be.

The past few weeks have been amazing, exhausting, hard and fun.  I’ve only just begun.  I’m happy that it became apparent quickly that this is the right place for me.  That I’m doing the right thing.  That I’m in my sweet spot.  It will make the next few months leading up to launch easier because I won’t be spending my energy on the question, ‘Is starting a company what I’m supposed to be doing?’, I’ll be spending it on the question, ‘what needs to be done next?’