The rules

My product sense, in twelve rules. The planner cites one on every call.

1. 1Who is it for, and when?

   Name the person, the moment, and what they do today.

2. 2What are they really after?

   A request is a first guess at a fix. Solve the goal.

3. 3Does it beat what they do now?

   Judge by what people do, not what they say.

4. 4Know who you're not serving

   Pick whose needs come first.

5. 5Assume nobody changes

   If no choice changes behaviour, don't build it.

6. 6Cheapest answer first

   If a setting, an edit or a small test does the job, take it.Changed the plan for #19: a script, not a one-off edit.

7. 7Rough, not hollow

   Ship early, but keep the detail the idea depends on.

8. 8Want it, start it, come back

   People act when they want it and starting is easy.

9. 9Say what should change

   Every piece of work names what should be different after.

10. 10Only ask what changes the decision

    If every answer leads to the same call, decide.

11. 11Play it forward

    Picture the reaction, then what happens next.

12. 12Rank what matters

    When rules pull apart, rank, choose and say why.

Full rules and tests on GitHub →