It is Smarter to Over Promise & Under Deliver — find out when & why

Shreyas Doshi · 1m · transcribed 9h ago

Section Insights

# 0:00

Rethinking Promises in Startups

What is the common belief about promises in startups, and what alternative approach is suggested?

The common belief is to under promise and over deliver, but the speaker suggests fostering a culture of overpromising and underdelivering, particularly in fast-growth startups.

Traditional advice is to under promise and over deliver.
Startups should consider a culture of overpromising and underdelivering.
This approach can lead to better internal expectations and outcomes.

# 0:16

Internal Promises and Parkinson's Law

How does Parkinson's Law relate to project timelines in startups?

Parkinson's Law indicates that work expands to fill the time available, which can lead teams to set longer timelines than necessary.

Internal promises should be managed carefully to avoid inflated timelines.
Teams often set longer deadlines to manage expectations.
Challenging these timelines can lead to faster project completion.

# 0:32

Challenging Timelines

What happens when teams challenge their own timelines?

When teams challenge their timelines, they may complete tasks faster than expected, sometimes achieving results in less time than projected.

Challenging timelines can lead to successful outcomes.
Teams may complete projects in significantly less time than estimated.
Even if expectations are missed, the overall time saved can be beneficial.

# 0:48

The Value of Flexibility in Timelines

What is the impact of flexibility in project timelines?

Flexibility in timelines allows teams to sometimes deliver results faster, even if they occasionally miss initial expectations.

Flexibility can lead to quicker project completion.
Missing expectations can still result in time savings.
Early-stage startups should prioritize speed over strict adherence to schedules.

# 1:04

Cultural Attitudes Towards Promises

What cultural attitude should startups adopt regarding promises?

Startups should aim for a culture of overpromising and underdelivering, focusing less on strict schedules and more on flexibility and results.

Cultural attitudes can significantly impact project outcomes.
Startups should prioritize flexibility over rigid timelines.
A focus on results rather than schedules can enhance productivity.

Transcript

0:02 in many cases particularly for startups and fast growth startups scaling startups the notion of under promise and overd deliver even though it tends to be dispensed as truth oh you should always under promise and over deliver I actually think you should create a culture where overpromise and underd deliver happens the key thing to keep in mind is this is about internal promises like Parkinson's law says work expands to fill the time available engineering teams or product teams will say oh it's

0:34 going to take us one month to do this but we're going to say 6 weeks because under promise over deliver well guess what happens it takes up six weeks I've worked on teams that actually do something like it's going to take four weeks but why don't we try to do it in 15 days and guess what happens sometimes it works out we get something done that's going to take four weeks in 15 days which is amazing sometimes it

0:56 doesn't work out instead of 15 days it takes us 20 5 days so yeah we missed expectations but we still took less time than we would have otherwise it's not just about schedules but my point is that early stage Optics should not be important so therefore you should aim for overpromise under deliver as a cultural attitude within the company

Summary

The speaker advocates for a cultural shift in startups, suggesting that teams should aim to overpromise and underdeliver internally, rather than adhering to the traditional advice of underpromising and overdelivering. This approach encourages teams to challenge their timelines and capabilities, potentially leading to faster and more innovative outcomes.

- Emphasizes a culture of overpromising and underdelivering for internal projects.
- Critiques the conventional wisdom of underpromising to manage expectations.
- References Parkinson's Law, highlighting how work expands to fill the time allotted.
- Suggests that aiming for ambitious timelines can lead to faster completion.
- Acknowledges that while some projects may miss deadlines, they can still be completed more efficiently than expected.
- Argues that early-stage optics should not be a priority for startups.
- Encourages teams to push their limits and embrace a mindset of exceeding expectations.