Do Things That Don’t Scale

Overview

“Do Things That Don’t Scale” is a counter-intuitive but powerful principle for early-stage startups, popularized by Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham. The core idea is that in the beginning, founders should engage in manual, labor-intensive, and unscalable activities to acquire their first users, understand their needs, and deliver an exceptional experience. This high-touch approach is the polar opposite of the automated, scalable systems that startups eventually aim to build. Instead of focusing on metrics that matter to large companies, like building a frictionless, automated user acquisition funnel, early-stage startups should embrace the “unscalable” to kickstart their growth and build a loyal user base. This hands-on approach allows founders to gain deep insights into their customers’ problems and desires, which is invaluable for product development and finding product-market fit.

Many aspiring founders fall into the trap of believing that a great product will sell itself. They build what they believe is a “better mousetrap” and then wait for customers to beat a path to their door. When that doesn’t happen, they often conclude that the market doesn’t exist. Paul Graham argues that this is a misconception. Startups don’t just “take off”; they are made to take off by the founders’ relentless efforts. This initial, unscalable push is like the hand crank on an old car engine – it’s a laborious but necessary process to get the engine running. Once the engine of growth is turning, it can continue to run on its own momentum, but it almost always requires a manual start. The principle of doing things that don’t scale is about providing that initial, forceful crank.

This pattern is not just about user acquisition; it extends to every aspect of the early user experience. It’s about creating a level of service and delight that would be impossible for a large, established company to replicate. By providing an “insanely great” experience for their first users, startups can create passionate advocates who will spread the word and help fuel future growth. This early, intense focus on a small number of users provides a rich feedback loop that is critical for iterating on the product and ensuring it truly solves a painful problem. In essence, doing things that don’t scale is about trading short-term inefficiency for long-term learning and a strong foundation for growth.

Core Principles

1. Manual User Acquisition: Instead of relying on scalable marketing channels, founders should actively and manually recruit their first users. This could involve direct outreach, in-person conversations, or even physically setting up the product for them. The goal is to get the first few dozen or hundred users through sheer force of will.
2. Insanely Great User Experience: Early users should be treated like royalty. Founders should go to extraordinary lengths to ensure their first users are not just satisfied, but delighted. This creates a strong positive impression and can turn early adopters into evangelists.
3. Embrace the Fragility of Early-Stage Startups: New ventures are inherently fragile. They should not be judged by the same standards as mature companies. This fragility necessitates a hands-on, nurturing approach from the founders.
4. Start with a “Contained Fire”: Focus on a small, specific niche or a narrow market segment to gain initial traction. By concentrating their efforts, founders can create a “hot” center of activity that can then be expanded outwards.
5. The Feedback Loop is Paramount: The primary benefit of doing things that don’t scale is the rich, qualitative feedback that founders receive from their early users. This direct interaction is the most effective way to understand user needs and refine the product.

Key Practices

1. The “Collison Installation”: Named after the founders of Stripe, this practice involves personally and immediately setting up new users with the product. When a potential user expresses interest, instead of just sending a link, the founder takes their device and gets them started on the spot.
2. Go Where Your Users Are: Physically go to the places where your target users congregate, whether it’s online forums, industry conferences, or local meetups. Engage with them in their natural environment to understand their problems and introduce your solution.
3. Handwritten Thank-You Notes: A simple but powerful gesture, sending a personalized, handwritten thank-you note to each new user can create a memorable and delightful experience. Wufoo is a classic example of a company that did this.
4. Manual “Wizard of Oz” Prototypes: Before building a complex, automated system, founders can manually perform the functions of the product behind the scenes. This allows them to validate the demand for a service without a significant upfront investment in engineering. For example, the founders of DoorDash initially took orders and delivered them personally.
5. High-Touch Onboarding and Support: Provide an exceptional level of support to early users. This could involve personal onboarding sessions, proactive check-ins, and incredibly fast response times to any questions or issues.

Implementation

Implementing the “Do Things That Don’t Scale” pattern requires a shift in mindset from thinking about scalability to focusing on learning and user delight. The first step is to identify your ideal early adopters. These are the users who have the most acute pain point that your product aims to solve. Once you have a clear picture of who you’re targeting, you need to figure out where to find them. This could be online communities, industry events, or even local businesses in your area.

Next, you need to craft a personal and compelling message to engage these potential users. Avoid generic marketing speak and instead focus on a genuine conversation about their problems and how your product might help. When you do get a user to sign up, the real work begins. This is where you apply practices like the “Collison Installation” or high-touch onboarding. The goal is to make the process of getting started as seamless and positive as possible. You should be obsessed with your first users’ success and happiness.

As you engage with your early users, you need to be a sponge for feedback. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn more about their needs, their pain points, and how your product can better serve them. This feedback should be a direct input into your product development process. The cycle of manual acquisition, high-touch engagement, and rapid iteration based on user feedback is the engine that will drive your startup forward in the early days. It’s important to remember that these unscalable activities are not a permanent state. As you grow, you will gradually replace these manual processes with more scalable systems. However, the lessons you learn and the culture of user-centricity you build during this phase will be invaluable for the long-term success of your company.

Seven Pillars Assessment

• Purpose (4/5): This pattern is deeply aligned with the purpose of building a successful, user-centric venture. By focusing on the needs of early users, it ensures that the startup is solving a real problem and creating genuine value. The emphasis on delighting users fosters a strong sense of purpose beyond just financial gain.
• Governance (3/5): In the early stages, governance is informal and concentrated in the hands of the founders. This pattern encourages this centralized control, which is necessary for the rapid decision-making and execution required in a startup. However, as the company grows, it will need to evolve its governance structures to become more scalable and inclusive.
• Culture (4/5): “Do Things That Don’t Scale” is a powerful culture-building pattern. It instills a deep sense of user empathy and a “whatever it takes” attitude within the founding team. This user-obsessed culture, if maintained, can be a significant competitive advantage as the company scales.
• Incentives (3/5): The primary incentive for founders is the validation of their idea and the acquisition of their first users. The direct, positive feedback from delighted users is a powerful motivator. However, the pattern doesn’t explicitly address financial incentives or equity distribution, which are critical for long-term alignment.
• Knowledge (4/5): This pattern is a powerful engine for knowledge creation. The direct interaction with users generates deep, qualitative insights that are far more valuable than quantitative data in the early stages. This knowledge is essential for iterating on the product and finding product-market fit.
• Technology (3/5): The pattern intentionally de-emphasizes technology in the early stages, favoring manual processes over automated ones. While this is effective for learning and validation, it can lead to the accumulation of “tech debt” that will need to be addressed later. The focus is on using technology as a means to an end, not as an end in itself.
• Resilience (4/5): By fostering a close relationship with early users and building a product that truly solves their needs, this pattern builds a strong foundation for resilience. A loyal user base is a startup’s best defense against competition and market fluctuations. The adaptability learned through this process also contributes to the venture’s long-term resilience.

When to Use

This pattern is most applicable in the earliest stages of a startup, typically before product-market fit has been achieved. It is particularly well-suited for:

• Pre-launch or early launch phase: When you have a product but no users, or only a handful of users.
• B2B and B2C startups: The principles can be applied to both business- and consumer-facing products.
• Marketplaces: Marketplaces are notoriously difficult to get started because of the “chicken and egg” problem. Doing things that don’t scale is often the only way to solve this.
• Startups with limited resources: When you don’t have a large marketing budget, manual, high-touch user acquisition is a cost-effective way to get started.

Anti-Patterns

• Premature Scaling: The most common anti-pattern is trying to scale too early. This involves focusing on scalable marketing channels, building complex automated systems, and hiring a large team before you have a product that people love.
• Ignoring User Feedback: If you’re doing things that don’t scale but not listening to the feedback you’re getting, you’re missing the primary benefit of the pattern.
• Getting Stuck in the Unscalable: While you should embrace unscalable activities in the beginning, you also need to have a plan for how you will eventually scale. Don’t let the “unscalable” become a permanent crutch.
• Confusing Unscalable with Undisciplined: Doing things that don’t scale is not an excuse for being sloppy or unprofessional. You should still strive for excellence in everything you do, even if it’s not scalable.

References

• [1] Graham, P. (2013). Do Things That Don’t Scale. Paulgraham.com. Retrieved from https://paulgraham.com/ds.html
• [2] Inari. (2024). The Definitive List of Startups “Doing Things That Don’t Scale”. Useinari.com. Retrieved from https://useinari.com/blog/the-definitive-list-of-startups-doing-things-that-didnt-scale