The interest rate of ideas.
We can pay the price now or do it later and then it comes with interest.
I could, for example, take my next winter vacation with the hard-earned savings, or I could do it with a swipe of a credit card and then keep on paying until summer is here. Which would you deem a more sustainable way?
Businesses have values and people have them too. Flexibility, agility, ecology, performance, customer satisfaction, profitability, or employees are some of my favorites. Every time I hear this stuff in company presentations, I end up asking inconvenient questions.
What is the price you pay for each value? What kind of sacrifice can you demonstrate at serving these?
Fitness at the gym or beach has its price. It is called sweating and aching muscles. New ideas have a price too. It is called confusion and mental strain.
There are no shortcuts. We must pay before the breakthrough.
I’ve noticed the same principle play out in projects as well. I’m a software tester, and in our domain, this insight is painfully obvious.
Quality is a value too.
Most successful projects over-invested to the quality in advance. And most of the disasters are a result of using a credit card instead.
By the way. Can you guess the interest rate at your project?
Pay the price upfront.
(P.S. Want to discuss more or just get connected? Please find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Snapchat and Soundcloud which suits you the best. The handle is @niittyviita everywhere.)
