Startups that execute with the end in mind do much better than those that code with ambiguity. Unfortunately, I feel that YC might be encouraging startups to not strategically plan ahead due to the emphasis put on "The original idea is not important because it will change anyway". Yes, ideas do change, but that does not give us the excuse not to make a long term plan before they do.
Startups should always have a week long tactical plan and a rough strategic goal stretched upto three months.
"If you don't know where you're going, you will end up somewhere else."
python_kiss "If you don't know where you're going, you will end up somewhere else."
I prefer "Wherever you go, there you are"
python_kiss "Startups should always have a week long tactical plan and a rough strategic goal stretched upto three months."
It doesn't matter how well you plan, you're going to run into brick walls. Most startups run into one and say "Oh damn, I guess we lost, let's go home." (secretly relieved to be giving up) -- other startups say "Brick wall? Where's my sledge hammer, this thing is toast!"
As far as a typical outline or long term goal, from my experience with YC's quite a few of them have goals way off in the horizon.
I do have to agree that a certain extent of the whole plan should not center around one solid idea, but an idea that can easily be remolded. This industry changes so fast, and it has no room for others that cannot change with it.
Personally, I had a sledgehammer going into this from the get-go. I'm just waiting for those walls to finally use my shiny new hammer on.
Though everything in this argument depends on the relativeness of things, in general I do think as ADD'd coders we love to simply code the next thing that comes to our mind. And that has its advantages. But as I've realized, it can be super healthy to explore the other end and instead of simply coding the first idea you get, to do few days of contemplation of making the initial idea better.
Get idea - Process idea - Code
I think there is too much of "Get idea - Code it" going on in this audience. A little mix can really help.
Startups should always have a week long tactical plan and a rough strategic goal stretched upto three months.
"If you don't know where you're going, you will end up somewhere else."