Most succesful tech is predicated on a distilled correct idea. The first iteration for Facebook, Amazon, AirBnB, and Google were strikingly simple. They provide the user with a few simple actions that enable a unique experience. This early version of Article.app for instance has two features a feed which allows users to read and a published button which allows users to publish articles.

This distilled approach seems to have a few nice properties: Ideas fail quickly, Few engineering hours are neccesary to build an MVP, and Product managers are unnecessary. Founders simply need to distill their idea down to a key directive, provide a simple set of user interactions and tell engineers to satisfy the constraints in the simplest way possible.

However, this approach to building has one significant downside for secluded technical builders: Distribution is key.

It is important to iterate over directives and user interactions especially when you have considerably simplified your product. It seems to help significantly for builders to have an audience who are willing to try a low-friction launch.