T-shirt theory

Hypothesis: early test for founders on whether you’re building something interesting is if people are trying to affiliate with your project. Call it the t-shirt theory

If people are excited to wear a t-shirt with your logo, you’re building something that resonates. Keep going.

Double points if they want to wear it and they’re not directly involved. Zero points if they’re a BD person that feels obligated to wear it. Negative points if that person also wears a sweater to cover it up.

Most interesting projects tap into a deep sense of mission and community. In the early days they’re more like movements than companies. It’s the only way to get talented people to work on something in its infancy or to get early adopters when the tech is buggy.

Apple stickers used to be everywhere when it represented being part of a community committed to bringing beautiful design and usability to technology.

I remember asking a friend to snag me a twitter water bottle in the early days when it represented giving ordinary people a voice.

I still have a GiveDirectly sticker on my notebook because I think what they’re doing is awesome.

Vitalik’s rainbow unicorn llama t-shirt became a cult sensation in part because of what ethereum represents to that community.

I think most people - developers, early adopters, investors, advisors - subconsciously run this test in their head. It’s an early sign for founders that you're tapping into something foundational in your community.

This works equally well with people putting stickers on their laptop or putting your handle in their twitter/github profiles. It’s about association, not swag.

This isn't the end point. Lots of other things you'll need to do to build something successful. But it can be an early sign you've got potential.

And fwiw, most t-shirts/stickers/association I see these days are for gaming and crypto projects.

(Originally published as a tweetstorm on July 27th, 2018)