Focus. #deliver Build the Right Thing
How do I avoid building things nobody needs?
Stop taking orders blindly. Dig for the true need behind the request, build the smallest thing that tests your assumption and put it in front of a real user early, and release imperfect work as a small experiment to get real feedback. When you are stuck, create something or learn something new instead of waiting for perfect.
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The tips, one per Thursday
30 editions of Focus. #deliver on this theme. Each links to the full article on LinkedIn.
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August 20, 2026
Don't build the feature as requested; dig for the underlying pain and solve that.
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July 30, 2026
Stop waiting for perfection; release a draft as a small experiment and get real feedback.
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July 9, 2026
Build the smallest thing that tests your assumption and put it in front of a real user early.
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April 9, 2026
Zoom out and ask whether you're working on the right thing today or just the easy thing; put your focus on the one thing that moves the needle.
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April 2, 2026
Ship the imperfect thing, learn from what went wrong, and adjust.
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July 31, 2025
Whatever your situation is today, try something instead of staying in the rut.
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July 17, 2025
Get your idea out of your head and share it publicly today, before someone else does.
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June 26, 2025
Decide what you'll ask, and who you'll ask, today.
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May 29, 2025
Check whether what you're working on matches what your customers actually need. Do the two align?
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May 22, 2025
Seek clarity on a request before you keep working on it.
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May 15, 2025
Look at what really made someone else's success happen, then create that luck for something you're working on today.
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February 13, 2025
Question something you do every day; planting the question is enough.
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February 6, 2025
At the end of a conversation or meeting, ask the final question so you know what to expect next.
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November 21, 2024
If you're stuck in a rut, think about how "Be Open" differs from "Be Available", then be open to new ideas today.
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August 29, 2024
It's your turn: fill in the scene yourself and take a shot at it.
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July 18, 2024
Go create something, anything, and don't wait for it to be perfect.
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September 14, 2023
Stuck staring at a blank page? Sketch something. It doesn't have to relate to what you need to get done.
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September 7, 2023
Embrace the blank page: find a blank piece of paper and keep it where you can see it.
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August 31, 2023
Focus on outcomes, not output: what is the ONE outcome you could produce today?
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August 24, 2023
Look around at what you already have, pick a few ingredients and mix them to make something new.
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July 27, 2023
Start digging: take the shot even if it turns out to be the wrong hole, and don't worry yet about what you'll fill it with.
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June 1, 2023
Take something you've been stuck on, deliver it and get feedback from real people. Either way, you'll learn.
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May 18, 2023
Sometimes get messy and diverge to generate ideas, without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
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April 27, 2023
To get unstuck, don't go back to the tried-and-true: learn something completely new, and accept that you'll suck at it at first.
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April 6, 2023
You're building stuff, so now deliver it, and discuss with your team the difference between building and delivering.
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March 30, 2023
Stop reading and scrolling: build something, even if it's embarrassing, and get feedback on whether it solves a problem.
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January 26, 2023
If you're drifting on autopilot, plant your flag: decide the ONE thing you want to be known for.
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December 1, 2022
When the hamster wheel keeps spinning faster, stop and ask what your North Star is (in Scrum, the Product Goal), or ask someone to help you.
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September 8, 2022
Admit when you're wrong, let it go and move on: it's a sunk cost.
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June 16, 2022
Ask yourself what ONE thing you are known for, or want to be known for, and why.
More Focus. #deliver themes
- How do I protect my focus when everything is urgent?
- How do I recover when I'm exhausted, overwhelmed or stuck?
- How do I finish work instead of juggling half-done tasks?
- How do I stop wasting time on routines that add no value?
- How do I lead and communicate with less noise?
- How do I connect and collaborate with other people?