Sajjad Jaffer, a veteran product manager, marketer and business development executive who's worked at Microsoft, Akamai Technologies and Infosys, is now working as co-founder of 222do, a startup that's building a list application for users of Facebook and other social networking sites.
In this interview with Vator.tv managing editor John Shinal, Jaffer shares some advice for entrepreneurs regarding simplicity.
It's hard for a young entrepreneur to try and figure out what the next thing will be, Jaffer says. One way around the problem: "keep it simple."
The idea behind a company, and the market for it, should be easy to describe, he says.
Startup execs should also try to get inside the minds of their customers and users, so they can better meet their needs and stay "relevant."
Lastly, some entrepreneurs make the mistake of hanging on to a product for too long, rather than testing it in the marketplace.
"Release your product so you can start the conversation with your customers," who will eventually understand the product in ways much richer than it was originally conceived," says Jaffer.
For more on 222do, which was among the winners of our SDForum "Technology Behind Digital Media" business plan competition, check out their pitch here.
