Arrington on Product Vision and Digg
Mike Arrington wrote a long piece on Digg’s stagnated product and how lack of product vision is to blame.
I’m skeptical of the implicit equating of vision with success, though. You can have a world-transforming vision and pursue that relentlessly despite your detractors, but that doesn’t imply success. I also don’t think there are very many visions that are, by themselves, sufficient for success.
The point that I think should have been made (or maybe it was and I missed it) is this: Truly transformative products and services require a strong vision. That vision is a necessary but not sufficient component of success. Success will only be achieved through execution, iteration and learning, all of which reinforce, change and grow the vision. It’s a process.
Digg’s stagnation is not only due to lack of vision, and Facebook’s success is not only a result of it. As always, complex things are not simple.
