# Episode 292: Diminishing Returns

- Show: [Making It](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it)
- Published: 2021-01-22
- Length: 1h 08m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns
- Listen: https://making-it-with-jimmy-diresta-bob-clagett-and-david-picciuto.castos.com/episodes/episode-292-diminishing-returns

## Summary

Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the psychological and logistical challenges of finishing projects, ranging from Bob's environmental design work with Make48 to David's book shipping logistics. They analyze the 'diminishing returns' of creative brainstorming and the financial realities of YouTube ad revenue, noting how January's low CPM affects content strategy. The conversation explores the tension between perfectionism and progress, using Bob's Chevy truck restoration and Jimmy's R2D2 build as examples of how the final 20% of a project often consumes 80% of the time.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=1) Introduction and Retreat Reflections
- [3:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=186) Bob's Make48 Environmental Design Project
- [9:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=542) David's Book Launch and Shipping Logistics
- [14:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=859) Analyzing Income Streams and Spreadsheets
- [18:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=1132) YouTube Ad Revenue and January Strategy
- [28:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=1685) The Psychology of Finishing Projects
- [37:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=2227) Perfectionism vs. Progress in Builds
- [55:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=3345) Financial Guilt and Success Mindset
- [1:01:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns#t=3713) Recommendations and Outro

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Make48 (company)
- Total Boat (company)
- Amazon (company)
- USPS (company)
- Patreon (company)
- Audit the Audit (product)
- Technology Connections (product)
- Mythical Kitchen (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [75: We Got to Finish Something](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2021-12-16-75-we-got-to-finish-something) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [439: Ditches and Psychology](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-01-06-439-ditches-and-psychology) (Embedded.fm)
- [97: Plateaus](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2023-04-06-97-plateaus) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [HIBT Lab! Colin and Samir: Colin Rosenblum and Samir Chaudry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-04-14-hibt-lab-colin-and-samir-colin-rosenblum-and-samir-chaudry) (How I Built This)
- [34: Goals and Plans for 2018](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-01-24-34-goals-and-plans-for-2018) (Thoroughly Considered)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-01-22-episode-292-diminishing-returns. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Making It.