Founder’s Dance with George Levin #17

Yesterday, I ran the Big Apple Half Marathon in Central Park. It was my 6th half marathon and the first I seriously prepared for. It was also the coldest one, at -4°C. My goal was to beat my time record significantly. Although I had no issues during training, in the 5th minute of the race, I felt a sharp pain in my right knee. Instead of enjoying the race and testing my stamina, I battled pain with every step. I still beat my PR by a small margin but ran slower than most of my long preparation runs.

As Haruki Murakami writes in What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, I try to use running as a source of learning. This race taught me that to achieve a good result, I need to stay focused throughout. I felt too confident and ready for this race, so I skipped the warm-up and wore shorts despite the freezing weather. That was probably the reason for my knee pain.

Another lesson is that I need to start respecting my age. What worked in my 20s now requires more discipline, time, and preparation, as I’m nearly twice as old.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun! Over 3,000 participants and the coolest running T-shirt I’ve ever received—it’s the one I’m wearing in this picture. Next time, I’ll be more focused and less overconfident.

Startup Hacks: Improving the buyer’s life

This idea is so simple and evident that it’s easy to forget. Writing it down as a reminder: You can keep perfecting a drill until you lose a big part of the market to the “No-Drill Shelf” (shelves mounted without nails).

We hire products to do a job, and the ultimate purpose of that job is to improve our lives. Product competition isn’t about features but how well they accomplish the job.

A drill isn’t needed to make wall holes but to hang shelves. This means “No-Drill Shelves” compete with drills, even though their functionalities differ.

To create products people use, we must understand why they buy them and what they compete against.

In 1975, Kodak engineers invented the digital camera, but the company decided not to release it, fearing it would hurt sales of its main product, film. Kodak thought people wanted photos, but what they wanted was a way to preserve memories. Smartphones solved this problem, and Kodak went bankrupt.

Buyers don’t want a new product—they want progress. If this weren’t true, early humans would still be refining hunting tools instead of inventing agriculture. They wanted a better life: reliable food, less effort to obtain it, and reduced risk. So, they domesticated animals instead.

We “hire” products to improve our lives. Therefore, product competition should be viewed based on their job performance, not their features.

For example, computers were more expensive than typewriters, calculators, and filing cabinets but cost less than hiring twice as many accountants and secretaries.

This concept is part of the product theory “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD), which reveals the fundamental principles of creating meaningful products. As Steve Jobs said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

A product is a tool for improving life. As inventors, we must understand what aspects of life need improvement, how people solve this now, and what they find unsatisfactory about current solutions.

Pointless questions:

• What product do you need?

• How can we improve this product?

• How would you feel if you couldn’t use it anymore?

Meaningful questions:

• How do you currently solve this problem?

• Are there alternative solutions?

• Which ones have you tried?

• What did they have in common, and how did they differ?

• What did you like or dislike about them?

• What will you do if the current solution becomes unavailable?

• How will your life change with a better solution?

It’s essential to understand what buyers will stop using when they adopt your product, which budget it will replace, and whether their lives will improve enough to justify switching.

For more on JTBD, read When Coffee and Kale Compete.

Product Spotlight: Thrill of the Fight

Looking at a product in the broad sense, I want to highlight my favorite and incredibly useful VR game, Thrill of the Fight. If we consider it a product, its “job to be done” keeps you in shape without relying on discipline while delivering much fun.

I’m not a fan of video games—nothing against them—but after enjoying Quake 2, Counter-Strike, and Starcraft in my youth, I couldn’t find any modern games that excited me. That was until I bought an Oculus and a few games. Most of them felt boring and unengaging, but Thrill of the Fight isn’t just a game—it’s a highly realistic boxing simulator. The design and animation aren’t remarkable, but the realism is exceptional (and I know what I’m talking about, having boxed for almost 20 years). The different opponents in the game have distinct styles and techniques, making it feel authentic.

You can experience the real thrill of sparring right in your room without risking a brain injury. Just watch out for the walls!

This game helped me stay in great shape during COVID. I played it almost every day for a year. What’s even more fascinating is that an indie developer created it. The best game I’ve played in years came from basically one person. He answers questions about game controls and tricks on Reddit and fixes bugs quickly.

He recently launched Thrill of the Fight 2, which the community had eagerly awaited for over two years. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m excited to see what’s new!

Culture Corner: Action Inquiry

Startups face two significant, often contradictory challenges. First, many fail due to conflicts between founders or within the team, highlighting the importance of clear communication. Taking the time to align through thoughtful discussions before jumping into execution can help avoid misunderstandings and mistakes.

At the same time, iteration speed is critical, and there’s often little room for lengthy discussions.

Bill Torbert’s Action Inquiry offers a practical framework to navigate this tension, making it a must-read for founders.

One key takeaway from the book is how to structure productive conversations. It focuses on four essential steps: framing, advocating, illustrating, and inquiring.

Skipping any of these steps can lead to conflict, miscommunication, or inaction, ultimately demotivating the team.

Framing: Clearly state the goal, current situation, and assumptions. This step is often skipped when the initiator assumes everyone understands the context.

Advocating: Present your proposal or concerns clearly.

Illustrating: Provide context—why it matters, the goal, and the potential consequences of inaction.

Inquiring: Ask open questions to confirm alignment, agreement, and feasibility.

Examples:

• Framing: "We’re on track for an October release. A trade show in September could be a great opportunity to showcase our product."

• Advocating: "I think we should aim for a prototype by the trade show."

• Illustrating: "If we complete the key features in time, we’ll grow our client base and attract investments. Missing it means seeking alternative strategies."

• Inquiring: "Do we agree this is worth the effort? Can we deliver? What will we need? What might we sacrifice?"

Pitfalls:

• Framing without advocating feels like idle talk.

• Advocating without illustrating may seem like an attack.

• Advocating without inquiring can come across as dictatorial, risking unvalidated assumptions and team misalignment.

Speak soon,

George

December 15, 2024. Brooklyn Heights.

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