[aeternum]

So would you just fire the entire team if a product does poorly?

Many individuals don't like startups because of this risk, most startup only get 1-2 chances to get productivity right. Very few waste time measuring productivity.

[gabrielso]

Start-ups don't get 1-2 chances to get productivity right. They get 1-2 chances to get PRODUCT right.

If they don't get productivity right from the get-go, they only get 1 chance instead of the "1-2 chances".

That's the risk most individuals don't like about startups, if productivity is not a centerpiece of their operation, the leadership pushes for the only other solution they believe: long hours in inhumane working conditions.

I don't believe there's causation between a start-up productivity and their product success, but I would love to be proven wrong.

[quickthrower2]

Option 1 - Don't measure and hope

Option 2 - Measure

Option 3 - Use judgement

We undervalue qualitative measurements when talking about this stuff. But in real life it is all there is. If you did everything with a measuring tape, you could do nothing (not even walk to your car!). If you care about nothing and close your eyes, things will get disorganized and chaotic and out of control.

This doesn't mean measure nothing, but don't try to get some perfect measure of productivity. At least not in creative work like software development.