Eric Schmidt: Prototyping Fast is Your Secret Weapon

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and tech visionary, has one big piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: speed matters. In today's fast-paced world of innovation, being able to quickly prototype your idea is crucial. If you can’t get a working demo of your concept off the ground in a short amount of time, you’re already falling behind.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO, Google

Schmidt’s insight comes from real experience. He shares an example of a hackathon where a team was given the challenge to fly a drone between two towers in a virtual space. Using modern tools and programming languages like Python, they not only figured out what “between” meant but also successfully flew the drone in a simulator—all within a day. What would have taken a couple of weeks for seasoned programmers just a few years ago was now possible in a single hackathon session.

Why Prototyping Quickly is a Game-Changer

The lesson? If you can’t quickly build a prototype of your idea, you need to rethink your approach. Schmidt emphasizes that someone else, somewhere, is probably working on the same concept as you. They might be in a different university, a startup halfway across the world, or just another bedroom coder—but they’re racing to bring that idea to life just as you are.

The tools available today, from AI to programming frameworks, allow people to build complex projects faster than ever before. Schmidt encourages founders to take advantage of these rapid prototyping tools and technologies. The faster you can show something tangible, the sooner you can refine it, test it, and ultimately, launch it.

Real-World Examples of Fast Prototyping Success

Plenty of entrepreneurs have built successful companies by focusing on quick prototyping. Take Andrew Wilkinson, the co-founder of MetaLab, who helped design Slack in its early stages. Wilkinson and his team didn’t wait around. They quickly threw together prototypes to test out the idea of a workplace communication tool. What started as a small internal project became a major tech company because they acted fast and iterated along the way.

Similarly, Guillaume Pousaz, founder of Checkout.com, a payment processing platform, knew that speed was critical in a highly competitive space. Pousaz constantly focused on quickly building and testing new features, keeping his company nimble and responsive to market demands. By rapidly iterating and releasing new versions of the product, Checkout.com grew into one of the most valuable fintech startups globally.

The Bottom Line: Speed and Action

Schmidt’s message is simple: don’t wait. Whether you’re starting a company or launching a new project, get your ideas out there quickly. Modern tools are making it easier than ever to test and build your vision, and the sooner you start, the better chance you have of staying ahead of the competition.

In today’s world, speed isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. Keep building, keep refining, and get your prototypes out there, because you can be sure that someone else is already working on it too.

Listen to Eric Schmidt: