Notes on Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Why are u doing this? What prob are u solving? Is this actually useful? "Cool wears off. Useful never does" R u adding value? "Adding something is easy; adding value is hard...Sometimes things you think are adding value actually subtract from it. Too muxh ketchup can ruin the fries." Will this change behavior? Is there an easier way? What could u be doing instead?
Meetings
Problems:
- usually about abstract words, not real things
- usually have a small rate of information conveyed per minute
- drift off subject very easily
- require thorough preparation that most ppl don't have time for
- agenda/goal is often too vague
- "often include at least one moron who inevitably gets his turn to waste everyone's time with nonsense"
- meetings procreate; one meeting leads to another
Also, you often schedule, say, 30 mins for a mtng but then the meeting is (should be) done after 7 mins.
If you must have a meeting, here's some rules:
- Set a timer -- end the meeting on time
- "Invite as few ppl as possible
- Have a clear agenda
- Begin with a specific prob
- Meet at the site of the problem instead of a conference room. Point to real things and suggest real changes.
- End with a solution and make someone responsible for implementing it."
Cost estimates tend to be wrong. One thing that helps is to estimate small pieces of the goal separately.