We add more apps to our phones, more tasks to our to-do lists, more metrics to our dashboards, and more features to our software. The unspoken assumption is always the same: More equals better.
Consider the humble bicycle. It has two wheels, a chain, a frame, and handlebars. Remove any one of those, and it ceases to be a bicycle. Add a motor, a windshield, and a stereo, and you have a motorcycle—or a mess. The bicycle’s genius is its efficiency of purpose.
Yet, in our workflows, we constantly build motorcycles when all we needed was a bike. We create 20-slide decks for a 5-minute update. We hold hour-long meetings to solve a 10-minute problem. We write emails that take three paragraphs to say “Yes.”
The most efficient element in any system is the one you decide not to build. The best task on your list is the one you decide not to do. The most valuable feature in your product is the one you decide not to ship.
Elements - Efficient
We add more apps to our phones, more tasks to our to-do lists, more metrics to our dashboards, and more features to our software. The unspoken assumption is always the same: More equals better.
Consider the humble bicycle. It has two wheels, a chain, a frame, and handlebars. Remove any one of those, and it ceases to be a bicycle. Add a motor, a windshield, and a stereo, and you have a motorcycle—or a mess. The bicycle’s genius is its efficiency of purpose.
Yet, in our workflows, we constantly build motorcycles when all we needed was a bike. We create 20-slide decks for a 5-minute update. We hold hour-long meetings to solve a 10-minute problem. We write emails that take three paragraphs to say “Yes.”
The most efficient element in any system is the one you decide not to build. The best task on your list is the one you decide not to do. The most valuable feature in your product is the one you decide not to ship.
