Inspiration: a simpler system that worked perfectly

June 25, 2013 / Steve Johnson

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked perfectly.—Murphy's Laws of Computing

MRD, PRD, FRS, BRD. How many of these documents do you have? Each one was initiated with the best intentions. Some confusion in the process, a missing role, a book somebody read. And, trying to make the process better, someone said:

"Let's just add this little step to our process."

And now, no one can say what sections belong in which documents. And some parts go in multiple documents.

Before you know it, you're not building a product; you're building a bunch of documents. But there's something even more systemic. We're trying to do too much. We have too many documents, too many priorities, too many meetings, and too many people in those meetings.

Here's my challenge to you:

• Can you do it in under 10 tools? Under 10 documents. Under 10 steps. Under 10 priorities.

• Let's have more conversations instead of comprehensive documents.

• Let's have more walking meetings and let's end meetings when the topic is done.

• Let's sign up for only a few items instead of all of them.

• Let's involve fewer people and finish the project and move to the next one.

• Why not work one day from your home office and knock out a bunch of stuff on your to-do list?

Declare your freedom from all the extra stuff that you could do and focus only on the things you should do!

Can you do under 10?