Tech nerds can't resist the big reveal. Blame it on mega-corporations like Apple that glamorize product launch events. But for most of us, the big reveal is a dangerous myth.
Sure, who doesn't dream of a Steve Jobs moment? Unveiling a game-changing product to the world is a seductive fantasy, but for 99% of us, it's a losing bet. When we work in secret, we miss out on the most valuable part of the process: feedback.
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Product for Engineers is a newsletter on building great products, the best practices of top startups, and lessons learned by PostHog.
Why the Big Reveal Falls Flat
The grand unveiling can often backfire. The truth is, a successful launch depends on much more than secrecy. It requires real-world feedback, adaptation, and a deep understanding of your audience's needs.
In my years building products, I've seen too many projects miss the mark because they held back until it was "perfect." Here's why that doesn't work:
- Audience of One: Designing without input means building a product that only fits your vision - not your customers' needs.
- Perfection Paralysis: Chasing perfection often leads to endless revisions and a product that's never finished.
- Out of Touch: Without feedback, your product becomes a solution searching for a problem.
- Crickets at Launch: When no one knows about your work, no one's waiting for the reveal.
- Echo Chamber Effect: Without external voices, you risk becoming too invested in your own ideas and losing touch with reality.
Why the Big Reveal Hurts Your Team
The big reveal doesn't just create problems for the product - it also disrupts your team. When people work in isolation and wait until something is "done" before sharing, they end up dumping a massive document or feature on their teammates with little context. This approach blindsides the team, creating confusion and misalignment.
Crowdsourcing feedback from peers along the way is a much better strategy. By sharing progress early, you keep everyone in the loop, build a sense of ownership across the team, and avoid surprises. Plus, it opens up the opportunity for valuable input that can course-correct mistakes before they become deeply ingrained in the project.
Why this matters
- Prevent Silos: Sharing early keeps everyone informed and helps avoid working in isolation.
- Get Stronger Team Buy-in: When teammates are involved throughout the process, they're more invested and engaged.
- Better Outcomes: Crowdsourcing ideas and feedback from teammates improves the final product, as you benefit from a diverse set of perspectives.
Embrace Transparency
The better strategy is openness. By sharing your progress, process, and even mistakes, you invite feedback and foster connections. This transparency helps keep your work grounded, adaptive, and aligned with market needs.
In fact, incremental transparency is not just better - it's essential. Here's why:
- Feedback Loop: Regular updates mean you can adapt and pivot when necessary.
- Audience Investment: Involving people early builds community and anticipation.
- Faster Iterations: You can make smaller, faster improvements rather than obsessing over a grand reveal.
The Power of Public Failures
Being wrong in public is uncomfortable - but it's also incredibly powerful. Admitting mistakes invites feedback and accelerates learning. It fosters a culture of humility and adaptability, and helps you build better products, faster.
The Bottom Line
The big reveal is a relic. Successful products today are built through transparency, iteration, and collaboration. By opening up your process, you not only avoid the pitfalls of secrecy but build better relationships with your users.
Do this instead
Don't keep your work a secret. Share your progress early and often. Your users will thank you - and so will your product.
Here's some links I've been keeping from you:
Or rather, I could have kept these to myself, but where's the fun in that? Here's some cool stuff I've been enjoying lately:
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Author Nagia Eghbal's book Working in Public is all about working with transparency - and although it focuses on open-source software, the principles apply to all product development.
Label Everything
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He makes a strong case for real ROI from labeling everything - and although I don't think you need to go quite as far as he does, I think we call can benefit from applying some of his principles.
