I’ve been a dedicated reader of Scott Adams’ (of Dilbert) blog for quite a while now. Today he put up a post trying to sort out ,mostly from a entertainment/pop culture perspective, how it takes being popular to have to time to make something quality.

So here is the key learning. If you are planning to create some business or other form of entertainment, you will need quality at some point to succeed. But what is more important than quality in the beginning is some intangible element that makes your project inherently interesting before anyone has even sampled it. That initial audience will give you the luxury of time to create quality.

I’ve heard this principle described in different ways in the software world: “Ship early and often.” But it’s interesting to hear this so well generalized.

On a related note, while reading this blog post at work, my CEO stood up and announced he just received a signed Dilbert cartoon from Scott Adams. More evidence, as Scott Adams says, that life could be an illusion.