Simple Solutions, Informally Delivered
Paul Graham shares his product development strategy in a wonderful essay:
Here it is: I like to find (a) simple solutions (b) to overlooked problems (c) that actually need to be solved, and (d) deliver them as informally as possible, (e) starting with a very crude version 1, then (f) iterating rapidly. When I first laid out theseprinciples explicitly, I noticed something striking: this ispractically a recipe for generating a contemptuous initial reaction.Though simple solutions are better, they don't seem as impressive ascomplex ones. Overlooked problems are by definition problems that mostpeople think don't matter. Delivering solutions in an informal waymeans that instead of judging something by the way it's presented,people have to actually understand it, which is more work. And startingwith a crude version 1 means your initial effort is always small andincomplete.
Paul suggests that his technique extends beyond startups to any type of creative work, and I'm inclined to agree.
In the delivery of legal services, what are the overlooked problems that can be simply solved? How many of us ask our clients (before, during or after they've engaged us) about the one thing we could change in our practices to improve their experience? Is it something as simple as shifting our office hours to be available when our clients can see us? Or, is it something more profound like changing the way we charge for our services? No matter what that one thing is -- and it could be a different one thing for every client -- what's keeping us for trying it? Just once. To see if it works.