Notes on 'The Right It'

I noticed many people in my circle have read this book and posted related notes, so I decided to skim through it as well in my spare time.

Especially when working on independent projects, books like ‘The Right It’ really catch my interest. Who doesn’t want to build the right product?

Here’s my conclusion.

First, I don’t think this book has much to offer. It doesn’t have much substantive content, so it’s a book you can finish very quickly.

Second, in the age of AI, the views and methods in the book no longer match current realities and needs. Not just this book—many books on processes and methods will end up being discarded, much like some current software. On the other hand, books that lean towards historical or theoretical research seem to have more staying power, able to withstand the test of time.

Still, there are a few points in this book I found valuable.

First, it consistently drove home—almost like brainwashing—the basic concept that most products will fail most of the time. This cold splash of reality is quite harsh, but reality is what it is. Yet, it’s not entirely negative, as it prepares me mentally, reminding me that succeeding isn’t easy, and failure is more the norm. What I need to do is try again and again.

‘Try again and again,’ is something Zhang Xue often says. I really like Zhang Xue and his sincere words. For example: ‘If you don’t do it when you’re young, you’ll regret it when you’re older. Even if you fail, you won’t regret trying.’ (This was key in motivating me to start independent development) Another is: ‘Even if I lack the talent and resources of others, if I work ten times harder, why shouldn’t the result be mine? It absolutely should be.’

In short, in product development, failure is normal. Persistence is needed.

Another concept that stuck with me was Pretotype, which the author introduced.

What is Pretotype?

The book translates it as “pre-type.” Unlike “prototype,” this goes a step before. In industrial design, a “prototype” is something basically functional; the “pre-type” mentioned in the book is something with only form and feel, without any actual function.

They mentioned the founder of Palm phones, who after a heavy and costly development failure, came up with the “pre-type” idea. He wanted to make a handheld phone, but the technology wasn’t mature then. So he made a model of the phone using a wood block for the dimensions he had in mind. He printed some interfaces (very realistically drawn) and stuck them on the wood block, even using a chopstick as a stylus.

This guy carried this “pre-type” to meetings and client visits to understand real user needs and experiences from a user perspective. Whenever he needed to make a note or set an agenda, he’d pull out the wooden phone and chopstick, mimicking the operation.

He persisted with this odd-looking task for quite a while, and it greatly helped him in ultimately creating the product. This example left a strong impression on me.

Lastly, there’s a valuable reminder: Once the MVP version of a product is ready, some distribution to reach real users and collect data is important. This insight inspired me.

In the past, I might have hesitated to take this step, mainly because I was reluctant to spend money on early promotion. I always thought a bit of promotion on my social media would suffice. But frankly, if you want real user feedback in the early stages, some necessary promotion is very important.

Aside from these, there wasn’t much else that left an impression. Overall, this book is suitable for a quick read.