Authors and entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson write in their book
Rework that when things aren’t going as planned, our natural inclination is to commit more resources to the problem: more money, people, or time.
But that usually just makes the problem even bigger: “If you start pushing back deadlines and increasing your budget, you’ll never stop.”
Instead, Fried and Heinemeier Hansson suggest that you go in the opposite direction: cut back and do less.
You’ll be forced to make tough calls and focus on what’s most important.
They use the example of chef Gordon Ramsay’s efforts to save failing restaurants. The owners often think that increasing the number of dishes they offer will broaden the restaurant’s appeal.
But the result is usually below-average food and bloated inventory.
Ramsey’s first step is to trim the restaurant’s menu. Once the number of dishes has been reduced from, say, 30 to 10, only then does he focus on improving what’s left.