REWORK

Narrow As You Go

Dec 13, 2023

The hosts discuss the importance of setting deadlines and narrowing the scope of a project to prevent feature creep. They delve into capturing and considering new ideas, embracing the ability to forget irrelevant ones. They also explore the balance between functionality, clarity, and delight in product development.

18:41

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Quick takeaways

Clear deadlines are crucial for focused, timely delivery and to avoid feature pile-up.

Start new product development with novel ideas to create a distinguishing factor for an audience seeking innovative solutions.

Deep dives

Importance of Narrowing Scope

When working on a project, it is crucial to narrow the scope as you progress. Adding more features or tasks as the deadline approaches can lead to a pile-up of work and hinder the completion of the project. Instead, focus on honing and editing the existing features to ensure the project is finished and ready for launch.

Narrowing Ideas to Get Things Done

01:25

Embrace the Capacity to Forget Unimportant Ideas

01:16

Introduction

6min

Managing and Considering New Ideas in Product Development

4min

Embracing the Capacity to Forget

3min

Striving for a Different Kind of Perfection

6min

In their book, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson stress the importance of narrowing the scope as a project unfolds, emphasizing, "After the initial dust settles, the work required to finish a project should be dwindling over time, not expanding."

But navigating this challenge is not always easy.

In this week's episode of Rework, Kimberly Rhodes sits down with Jason and David to explore the challenges and benefits of narrowing focus, particularly in the context of developing a new product.

Jason and David delve into the significance of clear deadlines, effective strategies for managing a constant influx of ideas, and the importance of adhering to the principle of "done is better than perfect" so you can ship.

Check out the full video episode on YouTube

Key Takeaways:

Why clear deadlines are crucial for honing, editing, and chiseling features to ensure a focused, timely delivery.
How to avoid feature "pile-up" as a project progresses in order to prevent last-minute chaos and ensure a smoother path to completion.
Start new product development with novel ideas to create a distinguishing factor for an audience seeking innovative solutions.
Not every idea can be integrated without compromising a project's scope—be prepared to make decisions on what to include and what to postpone.
Use the role of working memory to focus on what truly matters without being overwhelmed by an endless list of ideas.
Resist the temptation to hoard ideas; instead, focus on a few key ideas that align with the project's goals.
Done is better than perfect: small companies have the advantage of focusing on the perfect ratio between effort and value.

Rework is a production of 37signals. You can find show notes and transcripts on our website. Full video episodes are available on YouTube and X (formerly known as Twitter).

If you have a question for Jason or David about a better way to work and run your business, leave us a voicemail at 708-628-7850 or email, and we might answer it on a future episode.

Links and Resources:

It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work

Books by 37signals

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

@37signals on X

37signals on LinkedIn