Summary of Scott Belsky's The Messy Middle

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 When you have no customers, no press, and nobody knows or cares about what you’re making, the only way to get any sort of motivation is through manufactured milestones. #2 The great void of feedback and reward that early-stage start-ups must endure is especially apparent at start-up conferences like Web Summit. anonymity means you can make mistakes and drastic changes to your product without disappointing anyone, but only because nobody cares. #3 To hack your reward system, lower the bar for what constitutes a win. Milestones that are directly correlated with progress are more effective motivators than anything else. #4 It’s important to celebrate and manufacture wins early on, but make sure they’re not fake wins. You’ll find them at the expense of more important truths. To objectively observe the performance of your new creation or product, put yourself in others’ shoes.