/Jason Fried

Appetites Instead Of Estimates tl;dr: “A appetite is like a budget. Not "we think it'll take 4 weeks" but "we're only giving it 4 weeks." That's all we've got set aside for it. Then the team tasked with the work has to get creative and figure out the 4 week version of that feature. There is no 6, 8, 10, or 12 week version when the appetite is 4 weeks. Just like there's no $7,000 vacation when you only can afford a $2500 one. And you know how that ends up if you overspend.”

featured in #558


Separation tl;dr: “In my experience, a key skill to develop is the ability to separate one thing from another. To prevent the small from becoming the all... Developing the ability to tease things apart helps you compartmentalize the less desirable from the more desirable, and see the whole map, with all its separate states of like and dislike, favorable and unfavorable. There’s a very good chance that when you do that, you’ll like a lot more than you despise.”

featured in #516


Rescuing A Project In Progress tl;dr: “This isn't about calling in reinforcements or adding more resources. This is about stopping, slowing down, eliminating the spread of attention, honing in, and driving to completion.” Jason discusses the importance of establishing "completion discipline" in projects.

featured in #408


Risk, Decisions, and Scarcity tl;dr: "Risk tolerance is the scarcest resource in most companies." This sets founder-led companies apart from founder-less companies. Founder-led companies tend to take more risks. Risk is also a function of company size and "distance" - "the further away a founder is from risky decisions, the more likely those decisions will be safe decisions," which has implications as to how a founder should perceive risk, and operate their company. 

featured in #331