Pattern: You have a large, complicated, multi-layered project. Typically folks will structure the project layer-by-layer, because “efficiency”.
Transformation: What would it looks like if you structured the project to go end-to-end for a tiny subset of the possible inputs instead?
For example, in one payroll system I was asked to consult for, 100+ people had worked for 2+ years & still couldn’t print a single check. I told the team that we would print a check 3 weeks after rebooting the project. But…but…but… As my Pappy often told me, “You’re not a motorboat.”1
There are myriad benefits of going end-to-end early:
Feedback about the integration of all those layers. Integration problems can be expensive & unpredictable. Best to get those sussed early.
It helps you make better priority decisions. There’s everything you can imagine you need to do. Then there’s everything you really need to do. It’s easier to sort in the presence of a concrete example.
Going end-to-end feels good. It creates emotional energy. It helps bond the team. It proves to stakeholders that at least something is going to be running.
By which he meant that I sounded like a 2-stroke engine when I said “but but but”. Also that he was ignoring my objections.
Isn't this what some people call a spike? I often use the phrase "vertical slice" to communicate this idea.