Getting smarter at the cost of zero - Learnings from a Startup

Under the "Learnings from a Startup" tag I will share some of the learnings we make in the process of giving birth to the app & the company flo. flo combines your calendar, to-do's, notes, contacts & files into one flo and interface - making your day smarter and your life a little easier.

Getting smarter at the cost of zero
The fuel that keeps us going is curiosity, ingenuity and knowledge. The curiosity has for some reason always been there. The ingenuity we maintain by finding inspiration within different fields, from working with a number of creative individuals and by repeatedly ask ourselves – “how can we do this differently, better, smarter, more intuitive” – always on the lookout for new ways of going about things.

But the knowledge – where does it come from? There’s so much we need to learn in order to be successful and there’s always more we can learn and should learn.

We can’t test every idea, every thought, every hunch – it’s just not possible with limited resources and time. So what do we do – we ask, humbly. We try to find the smartest people within the knowledge area, swallow our pride and ask them. “How do you…”, “What are your thoughts on the way we…”, “If you had our challenge, when would you…”, the nervous “Does our roadmap make sense?” and the ultimate “do you think our product can make a difference?”.

Having smart people repeatedly criticizing your startup baby is painfully tough at moments, but saves you time and gives you access to hard-earned knowledge at the cost of zero.

So never mind the prestige – just swallow your pride and ask.