How to Build & Ship Projects FAST

(2 Min Read) 3 simple tricks on 3 small post-its is all you need.

Last year, I built and shipped a lot of projects that solved many of my frequent problems. By shipping, I mean, I got them to the state where I can use them with zero setup. They work great; every day I use them, I feel great pride.

In this post, I will share actionable advice that you can use to build and ship your projects fast. Note that the focus is on shipping fast.

So let's get to it. Overall, three things helped and each one of them is written on 3 separate post-it.

• Setting constraints.

• Removing fluff.

• Optimizing for velocity.

Setting Constraints

Setting constrains reduces distractions and increase focus. Deadlines are commonly used constraint. I have started setting additional constraints on each project. They are written on a post-it note on the monitor. Here they are:

• You can only start on the project with a clear and written problem statement. (This goes on another post-it, next to constraints post-it.)

• I can only work on one project at a time. No exceptions.

• I can only use the tech stack I am familiar with. I am not learning any new tech stack. Remember, shipping fast is better than not-shipping fancy tech.

Removing Fluff

This is the biggest reason why I can complete these many projects as this saves energy spend on low value things for product. Here is my current process of removing fluff.

• It doesn’t have to be pretty: I am the only user and I don't need it to be pretty.

• It doesn’t have to scale: I am the only user, and everything scales for a one user.

• I don’t needs to do things automatically: Basically do everything it needs by explicitly executing the command instead of automatic for example syncs, etc.

Optimizing for Velocity

This makes each project fun and exciting..

• Dumb it down or extreme simplification: I create a button to do everything and name the button as the action it does. For example, sync, save, load, reset, and log in with a hardcoded password (if you feel like having a login).

• Ship it, use it, and (if needed) fix it.

  • I try shipping every session so I can use it immediately.

  • I start using it immediately and see where it fails.

  • I fix it when it fails.

• Remove usage friction like a maniac, i.e., make using it zero effort. The easier it is to use, the more I use it.

And that's it.

I hope this helps. Happy Building & shipping !!