5 Reasons Why ‘Little’ Details Matter in a Startup

3. Customers Notice the Small Things That “Just Work”

Can you remember a time in your life when your use of a product was really strange, but somehow it just worked anyway? You quickly realize that the designers, no matter how small your use case was, had you in mind.

It always blows my mind when the designers of a product are so detailed in their execution, they have already thought of the most obscure ways that customers perceive their product. It’s always impressive when designers and business owners focus on the minutia detail — the most common use of their product.

For instance, according to several sources, Elon Musk personally checks every Model S that comes off the production line to ensure the highest quality. “Every car needs to be exactly right, and I am literally, personally looking at every car at this point,” said Musk in an interview. If that’s not attention to detail, I don’t know what is. If you’ve been paying any attention to Tesla’s stock price recently, it’s paying off.

4. Your Competition is Paying Attention to the Details

It’s just a fact that your most successful competitors are already thinking of the tiniest details — not only of their business, but probably yours too. I’m not sure of a more important reason to pay attention to the details. Why on Earth wouldn’t you?

There’s a reason why football coaches study tape on every opponent before the game. If you’re running a business, don’t think it crazy when your competition analyzes your business at the same granular level.

5. It’s Easy to Get Screwed Without Details

Sometimes, people aren’t nice. We live in a world where it’s extremely easy to be taken advantage of, especially if you’re not a detail-oriented person. Think through every implication of a potential deal and focus on every word in any contract. Preparation and heavy focus on each and every aspect of a your startup is the best way to ensure someone’s not using and abusing you.

We all hate reading through the fine print, but unless you’re just looking to get taken, it’s a great habit to get into.

Matt Boyd is the co-founder of Sqwiggle, an app designed to make remote working a more collaborative experience. Follow him and his journey as a productivity blogger, remote worker and distributed team builder at The Sqwiggle Blog or on Twitter.