Move fast and break things?
June 26, 2024
When Mark Zuckerberg coined "Move fast and break things" as Facebook's (Now Meta) early motto for informing internal design processes and product management, he encapsulated a bold, aggressive Silicon Valley mindset.
Over the years, this mentality has fuelled countless startups within and outside tech, encouraging them to innovate rapidly, prioritize speed over caution, and disrupt the status quo. But as we reflect on how commoditized, failure-prone and unethical many players have become, it's worth asking: Is this really the best approach?
A quick comparison that we can use to challenge this mindset is the "Second Mouse" strategy. Many of us are familiar with the phrase, "The early bird gets the worm..." We have been taught this all our lives and recite it to ourselves to elicit a sense of urgency in everything we do. But how many people know that the entire expression is:
"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."
Understood in its entirety, the approach is a strategic one of waiting, watching, and learning from the mistakes of first movers, which can lead to more intentional and sustainable innovation.
Apple has mastered the "Second Mouse" strategy, and no other organization epitomizes this level of intentionality in comparison. Apple often lets others take the initial leap, allowing them to move fast and break things all over the place. It deliberately refines and perfects the concept, ultimately delivering a superior, customer-centric, and authentic product.
Let's dwell on this for a little longer to paint a vivid picture; consider the smartphone market. Apple wasn't the first to release a smartphone, but when the iPhone debuted, it revolutionized the industry with its user-friendly design and robust ecosystem. The same can be said for the Apple Watch, which entered a crowded market of wearables and swiftly became a category leader through thoughtful innovation and seamless integration with Apple's other products. And most recently, Artificial Intelligence. The entire tech and media industry kept going on and on about Apple being late in the Artificial Intelligence race and that they had lost their touch. Apple then did what they do with a clarity of identity again by launching Apple Intelligence, which contributed $215 billion to its market capitalization in a single day, a remarkable feat.
They constantly observe the market, identify flaws in the initial rush of others, and then innovate in a way that aligns with their brand's authenticity and the actual needs of the audience to be served.
The myth that moving fast and breaking things will always lead to success is debunked by the high failure rate of startups. Many rush into the market with half-baked ideas, neglecting thorough clutter research, user feedback, and iterative improvement. The fallout is often wasted resources and failed ventures. And we would not contribute to a mindset that does not serve for the long term.
Looking at how things constantly play out in today's world of creative sameness, our intention at a small studio isn't to move fast and break things indiscriminately. Instead, we move fast intentionally, breaking things for good by leveraging thorough due diligence to clarify our partners' identities. We ensure that anyone we partner with has to do the work needed to move forward with authenticity. We prioritize reflecting before projecting and only work with founders and business leaders who see its value.
Our creative operating system, Identity Architecture, which we pioneered in the design space, nudges our partners to embrace the "Second Mouse" strategy personally and professionally.
Working together, we question the trends, understand the clutter, observe early adopters' successes and failures, and then craft identities and solutions that are both innovative and authentically aligned. This meticulous approach ensures that our work isn't just fast, but sustainable, and impactful.
We know it is tempting to rush forward and break things in pursuit of innovation in today's fast-paced world. However, there is a credible case for the importance of intentional patience, observation, and thoughtful action.
So, the next time you feel the urge to dive headfirst into a new venture, consider the wisdom of the second mouse or seek out a partner like us who empowers you with a creative operating system to pause and reflect intentionally, to then project with authenticity.
