Excellence Over Mediocrity

A framework for building successful products based on Paul Buchheit's (Gmail creator) philosophy that being great at a few things is better than being good at everything.

Core Philosophy

• Products don't need to be good at everything to succeed
• Being great at 1-3 key things is more important than being decent at many things
• Critics will always point out missing features, but that's okay

Real World Example: Gmail's Success

• Focused on being great at 3 core features:
  • 10x more storage than competitors (2GB vs 20MB)
  • Lightning fast email search
  • Threaded conversations for better organization
• Launched without common features like address book
• Succeeded despite criticism about missing features

Real World Example: iPad's Success

• Critics focused on missing features:
  • No USB ports
  • No keyboard
  • Limited productivity features
• But excelled at key experiences:
  • Instant-on capability vs slow computer boot times
  • Superior video watching experience
  • Simple, intuitive interface

Application to Apple Vision Pro

• Critics point out limitations but device shows excellence in key areas:
  • Private viewing experience (especially during travel)
  • Theater-like movie watching capability
  • Premium sports/concert viewing experiences
• Success will likely come from these strengths rather than trying to be perfect at everything

Key Takeaways

• Don't get discouraged by criticism about missing features
• Focus resources on making a few key aspects exceptional
• Identify what truly matters to users and excel there
• Being "great" at a few things beats being "good" at everything