What Does It REALLY Mean To Do Things That Don't Scale? – Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel

Examples of Doing Things That Don't Scale

Reddit's initial strategy involved manually submitting links using multiple usernames to create the illusion of user activity.
DoorDash founders personally handled all deliveries themselves to provide a delightful user experience and build relationships with restaurant owners.
Doing things that don't scale allows founders to understand the challenges and develop a strong understanding of their users' needs.

The job of a CEO and co-founders in early startup stages is to do the low-status, menial tasks.
They need to embrace and personally take responsibility for making the entire system run.
The CEO's role is to make everything happen and be accountable for the success of the startup.
Smart people who are not willing to do the hands-on work may not be cut out to be founders.
It is important to love and embrace the work that is required at a pre-product market startup.
The CEO's role is the opposite of the traditional perception of a CEO as a visionary or powerful figure.
Doing low-status work is crucial for getting a startup off the ground and making it successful.

Founders often have to answer customer support emails and deal with angry customers personally.
This hands-on approach allows founders to receive direct feedback and make improvements to their product.
Dealing with customer support helps founders understand the needs and pain points of their customers better.
It is more scalable for founders to focus on other tasks, but embracing the "suck" of doing unscalable work can lead to better product development.
Senior management teams at incumbents often rely on researchers or outsourced individuals to handle customer surveys, while founders gain firsthand insights on the front lines.
Friends may make fun of founders for doing this work, but it is part of the territory and demonstrates the commitment and perseverance required to start a company.
Starting a company is not easy, and most people are deterred by the challenges and risks involved.
Many young founders believe working at a big company like Google will teach them the necessary skills, but the importance of such experience is nuanced.

Scalability is a crucial factor in designing solutions for big tech companies, as they need to cater to millions or tens of millions of users.
Scalable solutions are highly valued in big tech companies, as they allow for efficient resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
The focus on scalability in big tech companies may not be as helpful in the early stages of startups, where the emphasis should be on launching and iterating quickly.
Startups often face challenges in launching their products or features due to the fear of imperfections, which is ingrained in the culture of big tech companies.
Founders need to prepare themselves mentally for the challenges and setbacks that come with the early stages of startups, including criticism and the need for patience.
Maintaining motivation and dealing with high stress situations are crucial aspects of running a startup, which may require emotional well-being support.
Startups often fail due to founders losing motivation and facing difficulties in handling criticism and stress.

Motivation is not about how bad something is, but about how bad you thought it would be when you started.
Doing things that don't scale may be counterintuitive and others may not understand or even think you're stupid.
Expect your approach to look different from your larger competitors and be prepared to be the primary actor.
Don't blindly copy strategies of companies that raise a lot of money, focus on doing one thing exceptionally well.
Just being able to say you've done one thing separates you from the pack and getting that person to come back is even better.
Measure the frequency of customer return and prioritize building a product that customers will enjoy using repeatedly.
Read the essay "Do Things That Don't Scale" by Paul Graham for more insights.