If school didn’t start at 9am what time would we turn up?
If tax returns didn’t have to be done by a certain date, when would we do it?
If childbirth was possible at any age, when would we conceive?
If our stomach didn’t have an eating deadline, when would we feed it?
Nature is smart and builds in deadlines for us.We ought understand the nature of deadlines.
Quite often in startup land we try to shun the usual behaviour of more established institutions like schools and corportations. And in many area this is a valid concept. But as far as deadlines are concerned this is something we should adopt. We should be strict on deadlines in the same way we had exams, and due dates at work. It’s a simple and vital discipline.
Work expands with the time allowed for it’s completion. So the time must be stamped. With an agreed deadline, we must cram to get it done. We must be accountable and our business will benefit.
If we don’t embrace the simple discipline of deadlines our more astute competitors will evolve much quicker, and more quickly make their stuff awesome. Deadlines ensure we continue to make our company, product or website awesome. Because each deadline is an incremental improvement. Without deadlines all we end up with is awesome and ever evolving blueprints, which our customers never see, or gain any benefit from.
Startup blog says – embrace deadlines and win.
