add draft for quality v timelines

Author: mrocklin

quality-v-timelines.md

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+---
+title: Quality v. Timelines
+date: 2023-02-06
+blogpost: true
+author: Matthew Rocklin
+category: startups
+---
+
+Quality v. Timelines
+====================
+
+When doing or scoping work we often ask ourselves *"should I do a good job here,
+or a good-enough job?"*  This affects project velocity both short and long
+term.
+
+To address this question, I'm going to introduce two professionals from my friends/family.
+
+## Doctor
+
+My good friend is an OB/GYN.  She spends a lot of her time in delivery/surgery,
+taking various things out of humans (babies, cysts, cancers, organs, birth
+control, unknown fluids, etc.).  It's a messy and unpredictable job that has to be
+done *exactly correctly*.  The most important task around is the patient right in
+front of her.  Nothing else takes precedence.
+
+## Carpenter
+
+My uncles all worked at Paramount studios.  They built/painted/set-up various
+stage props for the movies (fun fact, my grandpa painted the Yellow Brick Road
+from the Wizard of Oz).  They had to do a professional job, but they also had
+to deliver on time.  Their work was not the most important task around.  The
+shoot was.
+
+## Is my task the most important thing?
+
+The question of "good vs good-enough" often comes down to "is my task the most
+important thing?".
+
+Often we're asked to do work that is not the most-important-thing (like my
+uncles on the movie set).  In this case we do the best we can in the time
+allotted, and then we get out of the way leaving something that is good-enough.
+Staying on set painting something just-right while the cast and crew are
+standing around isn't going to work.  We need to move our task off of the
+critical path.  If we're great at our job (leaders / managers / etc.) then we
+measure our progress by how many things we can move off of the critical path in
+the time allotted to help our crew.
+
+Occasionally we're asked to do work that is the most-important-thing (like my
+friend the doctor).  In this case we stay on the job until it's done perfectly,
+even if it goes way over schedule.  We don't leave the birthing mother, we make
+sure that our sutures aren't going to rip, and we verify that we didn't leave
+gauze in the patient.  In these cases the rest of the world revolves around us
+(patient, nursing staff, support staff, other patients in the waiting room),
+and so it's very important that we communicate actively and constantly to let
+everyone know what to expect.
+
+## Verify
+
+Answering "good vs good-enough" well helps groups to move quickly without
+incurring technical debt where it matters.  It makes sense to check in with
+your team to make sure that everyone agrees on what is most important, and
+where quality is important but not critical.