The document discusses an ad agency's attempt and failure to develop their own app product. It outlines 5 key lessons learned from the experience: 1) Ad agencies are meant to serve clients, not develop their own products. 2) The development process should not resemble torture. 3) Product development requires full-time dedication beyond a 9-5 schedule. 4) Developer buy-in is essential. 5) Marketing should not promise capabilities that development cannot deliver. The agency eventually succeeded by partnering with an outside developer, dedicating a focused week off-site, and sprinting to completion.

1. CELEBRATING FAILURE
How to not make an app at an ad agency

2. The question of the day/year/era:
Can ad agencies make products?

7. We tried.We failed.
Then we kind of succeeded.

8. We learned more than 5 things.
But here are 5.

9. 1.
Ad agencies were created
to serve clients’ needs, not their own.

10. 2.
The development process should not resemble
a Hieronymus Bosch painting.

12. Torture testing by multiple layers.
Fighting for resources.
Answering too many masters.
Competing with real clients for time, effort.

13. 3.
A startup is not a 9-5 job.
It’s definitely not a 9-10:30 every
other day kind of job.

14. 4.
You can’t develop an app
without developer buy-in.

15. 5.
Marketing: Stop writing checks
that Dev can’t cash.

16. We had t-shirt designs before we had any code.
t-shirt image

17. So, progress was slooooooooow.
We lost momentum.

18. But then, we changed our approach.

19. Partnered with an outside resource.
Devoted a solid week to development.
Took the entire team off-site, focused.
Sprinted to the finish line.

20. And shipped a product.