210: Shiny Projects And Distractions.

When is it okay to switch to a different project? This is something that I struggle with all the time. I have so many ideas and so little time. There’s no way that I can get to everything. But it gets worse. Because new ideas keep arriving all the time. This episode is about some of the insights I’ve learned about how to finish a project and when to walk away. This is a balance that you’ll have to figure out for yourself. I can only share my thoughts and what’s worked for me. Listen to the full episode to hear my insights and learn what you can do to get more things finished. You can also read the full transcript below. Transcript This is something that I struggle with all the time. I have so many ideas and so little time. There’s no way that I can get to everything. But it gets worse. Because new ideas keep arriving all the time. I’m definitely not the type of person who has to finish everything that I start. And I’m okay with that. But just like how I have to watch my weight, I also recognize that I have to be careful about starting a new project. This episode is about some of the insights I’ve learned about how to finish a project and when to walk away. This is a balance that you’ll have to figure out for yourself. I can only share my thoughts and what’s worked for me. First of all, we really do need to finish things. I don’t mean they need to be complete. Hardly anything is ever fully complete and will change over time. You have to get that first version done enough so it can be released. This is hard and one thing that will help is to focus on the absolute minimum that you can provide that still has value to somebody. If you’re going to take a break from a project, getting past that first finish line is one of the best places to aim for. Even if you have to change your list of features, it’s much better to deliver a smaller set of features at a high quality than more features that may not be needed. Let your customers tell you what they want next. This leads to multiple finish lines. Completing a project that nobody else sees or knows about is normally not a good thing to do either. You’ll get the most benefit when you make it your goal to not only finish a project but release it as well. What about ongoing projects? Do all projects have to have a complete state? This podcast is a good example of an ongoing project. There’s no end in sight. In fact, my list of possible future topics just keeps growing. The way I’ve found that works best is to be in constant release mode. I make a point to write, record, and release a new episode each week. To me, it doesn’t matter if a project has a definite end or is ongoing, the key is to get something done and get it in the hands of a customer as quick as possible. If you do decide to stop work on something, make sure it’s a conscious decision. Put the previous project away. As long as you leave it out, then it’ll just lead to a sense of overwhelming and depression. If you’re worried that you might forget about a good idea unless you start work on it right now, then do what I do and keep a list of future projects. It’s okay to spend an hour or so to write down your thoughts so you can come back later. And if you decide that the new project is better or more important than something you’re already working on, then it helps to list reasons for the change. The whole point is to make a decision one way or the other. I’ve mentioned something called the sunk-cost fallacy before. Listen to the QA Friday episode from 2016-Jul-22 for more information. The main idea of the sunk cost fallacy is that we often let past events and decisions drive our future. If you’re almost done with a project and a new idea comes along, just make sure to ask yourself if the new project can wait a bit. If you can finish the current project and release it, then that’s