It’s important to understand the difference between the “death of an idea” and the “death of an iteration.” This tweet made me think about it.
- The dude has zero taste.
— Yevgeny (@yevgenydevine) May 7, 2025
- Almost nothing works when you spend two months on it.
That’s the whole point.
— Yevgeny (@yevgenydevine) May 7, 2025
I am a mix of both, I think. I’m not an idea machine; I tend to develop ideas in areas where I’ve already tested the waters.
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Death of an Iteration: This means that a particular version, feature, or approach you tried didn’t work out. You might redesign, refine your business model, or experiment with new marketing strategies. The core idea remains alive—you’re simply exploring different ways to make it succeed. For instance, a friend launched Lovable and quickly built an in-app notification component for his project in just a few hours. He thought our efforts were doomed, but in reality, we’re just iterating to improve the NotificationAPI #Agent_experience. (Curious? Watch this video.)
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Death of an Idea: This is when you realize the core concept itself isn’t viable, no matter how many tweaks you make. At this point, you move on to a completely new idea. Take Homie, for example—he’s tried over 70 different ideas.
Why does this matter? If you treat every failed iteration as the death of the whole idea, you might give up too soon. But if you never recognize when an idea itself isn’t working, you risk wasting time and resources. The key is to be honest with yourself: are you just iterating, or is it time to let the idea go entirely? Start with good taste, and don’t be a quitter.
Let me be a little sassy and spicy. Good, long-lasting buildings aren’t made of wood by the ocean. Khufu never saw the completed Great Pyramid of Giza. Darius I never saw Persepolis finished.