Impact vs. Effort

This is a helpful framework to get a team out of the mindset that every fiddly thing needs to be the most perfect, well-thought-out pocket opus. It can strike down perfectionists of all backgrounds: Product Managers, Designers, Engineers. I've even had a customer service colleague hem and haw over an ideal draft that was clearly only going to warrant several expletives in response.

Checking in on what the expected impact is for several options of effort is a collaboration opportunity for stakeholders. Many times, I've been surprised to hear, "I don't care if it's a hideous, manual process—I just need to be able to do it next week." The button just needs to be clickable. The slideshow just needs to have a release date.

This relates heavily to making things scalable and avoiding the sunk cost fallacy, particularly when it comes to "fed is best." That's something people console you with when you say something incredibly brave like "we're trying formula" but quickly disappears once your child starts eating solid food. THEN you should be monitoring their macros like a bodybuilder and exposing them to umami by six months.

Yes, allergens and palates are developing. Yes, the fight over vegetables can feel like the one battle you're supposed to pick. But no, a single (or several) prepackaged meals will not blossom into an eating disorder overnight, just like the Pinterest-level bento box you're packing for daycare will not be remembered during teenage rebellion season.

Having a framework that supports a food/nutrition/care standard you're comfortable with is great, but it's also immensely valuable to you and your team to periodically step back and say, "This isn't worth it for us right now. Patch it with pizza and we'll try again tomorrow."