product execution

Moving fast doesn’t have to come at the expense of quality or long term progress

/ markbartels / 1 Comment

Moving fast doesn’t have to come at the expense of quality or long term progress.

Make small moves and correct mistakes quickly.
Avoid irreversible decisions, so when you change your mind, you don’t have to start from scratch.

The quicker you learn and adapt to reality, the better.

Check your ego and listen to feedback. But you only get that feedback if you put yourself out there. Thinking about doing something while you are in the shower is different from being out there in the dirt.

When you are starting out, act as a field mouse foraging for food while the owl is hunting. Stay alert, be nimble, and use your size and speed to your advantage. Stack up the small wins and then take cover. Repeat and build momentum over time: the more forward momentum you have, the more significant the outcomes.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Disillusionment is good

/ markbartels / 2 Comments

Most people undertake a project with an illusion of how much time and effort it will entail. Sooner or later they become disillusioned. That’s actually good news. Disillusionment means that they are ready to start making decisions grounded in reality.

Being disillusioned doesn’t make you a pessimist…it makes you a realist. There’s a big difference. A realist sees things as they are and then makes a decision. Give me a tenacious realist over a delusional optimist any day.

Don’t confuse illusion with vision. Illusions are fun and sometimes even inspiring but they are also deceptive because they create a false impression of realty…that’s dangerous territory.

Next time someone asks if you are pessimist or a optimist, tell them you are neither…tell them you are a realist.

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”  William Arthur Ward