Ask The Same Question

The author argues that people should keep asking the same core question for a long time, since sustained focus on one question, kept legible and open to new tools, produces real progress. Reflecting on a 2007 "social computing" conversation with Reid Hoffman, Erik Fair, Mena Trott and moderator Kara Swisher, the author says many of the same questions about community-driven products and authentic self-expression are still being asked today. The essay cites Cami Tellez, who has focused on underwear for years through Parade, and Nikita Bier, who has probed a form factor with Gas and TBH, as examples of this approach.