---
title: WIP is waste
teaser: A manifesto on work, waste, cost and value.
tags: productivity,process,focus
author: Jared Turner
published_on: 2024-04-23
---

A manifesto on work, waste, cost and value. With respect to our ultimate benefactors, **end users**.

> It's done, I'm just waiting on a review
>
> It's complete, I just need to do some final testing
>
> It's ready, I just need to merge and deploy

End users do not care. Nor should they. Nor can they. To the end user, this work provides no value. It doesn't exist.

# Work in progress has zero value. Ship!

- Before a task is shipped it provides **zero value**.
- Any work in progress is **pure cost**.
- Two tasks in progress **adds cost, for no value**.
- Only after shipping do you create value. **Always ship**.
- One task shipped is _infinitely better_ than 4 tasks "almost done".
- Ship something of value _first_. **Then begin something new**.

<aside class="info">
  <p><strong>Shipping doesn't always <em>equal</em> value. Measure!</strong></p>

  <p><em>But that's for another post…</em></p>
</aside>

# A bonus on progress updates

It's the end of another week. Your team is preparing your high-level project update for stakeholders and leadership. What's important here? What shipped! Compare the following:

> We have 2 tasks ready to deploy, 1 in testing and 1 in review

Stakeholders, and end users, rightly translate this as "We shipped nothing last week AKA we provided no value to our users".

Vs

> We shipped 2 tasks last week

This isn't just optics. This is cold, hard _value_ in end users hands! Versus nothing. This is the [cost of delay].

[cost of delay]: https://blackswanfarming.com/cost-of-delay/