We often confuse productivity with throughput. In most cases, we want to increase throughput, but we apply mechanisms to increase productivity. Here how to think about productivity and throughput: Suppose you have a 200 sq. ft backyard, and you water it is using a garden hose. A standard garden hose takes 30 minutes to water the entire backyard. Now you don't want to spend 30 minutes each day watering the backyard. What do you do?