Velocity and possibility | Seth’s Blog

The art of project management includes the dance between velocity and possibility.

If you describe the outcome with specificity and remove as many variables as possible, you’ll get the work done with more speed, higher reliability and less cost.

That velocity, though, might encourage us to recognize that all sorts of options are available. There are countless chances to make the project better and to find new opportunities.

Exploring the possibilities in moments of high velocity almost certainly ensures that costs will increase, reliability will be impacted and you’ll miss deadlines.

That’s because possibility is the art of being willing to be wrong. It’s exploration. It’s far easier to explore on foot than it is on a high-speed train.

The best time to explore is before you scale your investments, your commitments and the size of the team.

We seek both velocity and possibility, but not at the same time.

March 24, 2024