Startups Don’t Just Need to Be Fast, They Need to Be Focused

Quick Note: Speed is the time rate at which an object is moving along a path, while velocity is the rate and direction of an object's movement.

If you’ve ever watched a "Fast and Furious" movie, you know one thing: speed alone doesn’t win the race. You need direction, focus, and a plan to make it to the finish line. The same is true for startups.

When we started Keble, we were obsessed with moving fast. We constantly pushed out features, launched ideas quickly, and rushed to market with every new thought. But here’s what we learned the hard way: speed alone isn’t enough. It didn’t translate into revenue growth or customer success. In fact, it often created unnecessary strain on our product team and led to do-overs.

At the time, we didn’t have many users, so those rushed launches didn’t hurt, but they slowed us down internally. Today, we do things differently. Every feature we ship is tested in real-life scenarios before production. Operations now drive feature creation, and our product team amplifies those validated features for the larger market.

This shift didn’t happen overnight. It took us years to realize that speed isn’t what drives success—velocity does.

The Difference Between Speed and Velocity

As a startup, being fast is often your biggest advantage. Large companies take longer to plan and execute because they have more at stake. Startups, on the other hand, can act quickly and adapt. But here’s the catch: speed without direction is wasted effort.

Speed vs. Velocity:

• Speed is about how quickly you can execute tasks. It’s pushing out features or updates without a clear understanding of their purpose or value. While it feels like progress, you might just be running in circles.
• Velocity is speed with direction. It’s aligning your efforts with clear objectives that move your company closer to meaningful goals. With velocity, every action contributes to growth and customer success.

Why Velocity Matters

Velocity ensures that your speed is purposeful and aligned with your goals. It’s not about how fast you can execute—it’s about executing in the right direction. Here’s how to make velocity your focus:

1. Set Clear Objectives: Understand what your customers truly need and define measurable goals that align with those needs. Start with the problem you’re solving and work backward.
2. Align Speed with Strategy: Use your ability to move quickly to execute strategies that directly address your objectives. Don’t just build for the sake of building—build with purpose.
3. Create a Continuous Feedback Loop: Regularly gather customer feedback, analyze it, and adapt your approach. Velocity requires constant recalibration to ensure you’re still on the right track.

How We Embraced Velocity at Keble

The shift from speed to velocity changed everything for us. Instead of rushing to market with untested ideas, we now let operations drive feature creation. For example, before we release a new feature, we test it internally and validate it in real-world scenarios. Only then do we scale it for the broader market.

This approach ensures that every feature we launch solves a real customer problem and aligns with our business goals. It has significantly reduced wasted effort, improved our product, and, most importantly, kept us focused on delivering value.

3 Questions to Drive Velocity in Your Startup

If you want to shift from speed to velocity, start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Are we solving a real problem for our customers?
2. Does this align with our long-term goals?
3. Have we validated this idea through feedback or testing?

If the answer to any of these is “no,” it’s time to pause and recalibrate.

Conclusion- Focus on Velocity

As a startup, speed is important—but speed without focus is just chaos. Your competitive advantage isn’t how fast you can move; it’s how quickly you can execute on meaningful goals.

The next time you’re in a rush to push something out, take a step back and ask: Are we moving fast, or are we moving fast in the right direction? Focus on velocity, and you’ll not only go farther—you’ll get there faster.