Get Out of the Garage
A couple of years ago, I was in Washington at a conference for consultants when a colleague shared a quote that has stayed with me ever since: “Get out of the garage.”
For me, it is the perfect summary of the spirit of Silicon Valley, where iconic companies like Hewlett-Packard literally started in a garage. But beyond the story, it captures a mindset. Build and develop, but do not work in isolation for too long.
So what does it actually mean to get out of the garage? It means not waiting until everything is perfect before you show your idea to the world. It means sharing your product, your service, or even just a first concept earlier than feels comfortable. Talk to customers, listen to their feedback, and test if your idea resonates. And based on what you learn, be willing to adapt or sometimes even let go.
Because staying in the garage feels safe, but it is not honest. There is no criticism, no pushback, no real signal from the market. Everything looks good on paper, and it is easy to convince yourself you are on the right track. Until you step outside and reality tells a different story.
In Silicon Valley, you often hear another well-known quote from Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn:
“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you launched too late.”
He later explained that this idea is often misunderstood, and highlighted three things behind it.
- First, speed matters. You should launch faster than feels comfortable.
- Second, your assumptions will not be entirely right. Looking back, you will probably be surprised, even embarrassed, by how much you got wrong.
- And third, by waiting too long, you delay the feedback loop. The longer you wait, the later you start learning.
It is the same idea.
Progress does not come from perfecting in isolation. It comes from interaction, from feedback, from adjusting along the way.
So if you are working on something new, ask yourself: are you still in the garage, or is it time to step outside?
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