Back to all posts
It happened with just about every project I was on.
Let’s add this one additional ingredient.
This one function would make this product that much better.
If we do this once, we might as well build an entire system for it.
It has a name… Scope Creep.
You add and add and add on top of what you already have… in theory making the end product that much better.
But stacking on comes at a cost. Yes, you’re adding the extra time to do that work, and also adding the extra labor and investment. But you’re also adding complexity. With more variables and components, you have to account for more connections.
In fact, it is like Jenga. Because the higher you stack… the more holes you make in your product (often without knowing it).
The cost of stacking is:
- Higher probability of failure
- Longer timelines
- Higher $$$
What is the one thing that can help you?
"Complexity has nothing to do with intelligence, simplicity does."
KISS: Keep It Super Simple
Ah… you were looking for something you didn’t already know?
Haha. We often know what to do, but how often do we do what we know?
You see… your brain works against you here. *Loss Aversion activates and you feel like saying “no” to an extra added thing is losing out on a potential benefit.
But Loss Aversion is only bad when your mind focuses on what what you lose in one scenario -> Saying NO to the added (non-essential) thing.
Loss Aversion can help you when you also think about what you lose when you Say Yes to the added (non-essential) thing. You lose probability of success, you lose time, and you use $.
Ah… now it’s suddenly easier to Say No and keep your project Super Simple.
Use how your brain works to your advantage.
If you’re having a hard time Saying No to another thing being added to your project… do this simple exercise:
1) What will you lose if you Say Yes?
2) What will you lose if you Say No?
Remember, there’s two sides to every coin.
– Laura @ Mindtap
*Loss Aversion: The brain experiences losses asymmetrically more severely than equivalent gains.
“Complexity has nothing to do with intelligence, simplicity does.”
– Lawrence Bossidy
American author and businessman
