Prevent service income from changing the business by accident

Short projects or services can finance useful work and teach you about customers. They can also consume the whole team. Each paying request can appear more urgent than the reusable product. The company can become a service business while still describing a product strategy.

Examine where the work leads. Does it deepen knowledge of the intended market? Does it create something several customers can use? Or does it add a custom obligation with little connection to the main offer?

A service business can be a good choice. The problem is an unexamined change in direction. Keep the purpose of the income source explicit. Decide when its demands no longer support that purpose.