Scott Belsky’s new book, The Messy Middle, covers an expansive range of topics, from constructing teams (“If you avoid folks who are polarizing, you avoid bold outcomes”) to culture and tools (“Be frugal with everything except your bed, your chair, your space, and your team”) to anchoring to your customers (“empathy and humility before passion”). We’re pleased to present Belsky’s introduction to his “Optimizing Product” chapter, as well as three tactic-laden sections on simplifying and iterating products. Read on for new thinking and enduring advice from Belsky, one of the most insightful minds you’ll find on building products, teams and companies.