Generally any brand-new product should never take longer than 18 months to ship—24 at the limit. The sweet spot is somewhere between 9 and 18 months. That applies to hardware and software, atoms and bits. Of course, there are things that take longer—research can take decades, for example. But even if it takes ten years to research a question, regular check-ins along the way ensure you’re still chasing the right answer. Or still asking the right question. Every project needs a heartbeat.
