It was too easy for them; they were too successful raising money. If they’d had to grow the company gradually, by iterating through several versions they sold to real users, they’d have learned pretty quickly that people looked stupid riding them…They had focus groups aplenty, I’m sure, but they didn’t have the people yelling insults out of cars. So they never realized they were zooming confidently down a blind alley.

Running a business, building a product, leading a team, or writing your magnum opus. The push-back and the ridicule is invaluable and shapes the results for the better.  Don’t try to hide from it, or buy your way out.  Prove them wrong.

I’m not saying that you can’t have success by pouring in all your waking hours. Of course you can. I’m saying that you don’t have to. That the correlation between the two is weak.

O-so-true.  Working *smart* is essential.  Otherwise, you’re working *stupid*.

DHH from 37signals on The lifestyle business bullshit.