There is a tale floating around the internet that NASA spent $12 billion developing pens that would work in space, while the Russians relied on pencils. This story has been debunked by Snopes.com and others. But the point made is valid. How often do we all over- think projects and solutions to the problems we face?
Sometimes the cause of this is human creativity. Other times, it is insecurity. Still other times, it’s just plain curiosity. Regardless of origin, these endeavors can be expensive in both time and treasure. When I wrote Figure It Out! I suggested that the first question to ask when solving any program is “What does success look like?” This exercise doesn’t take long, but it compels one to stop and consider what the real outcome needs to be.
Even in writing this post, I might be tempted to turn this simple point into a 1000 word philosophical essay. Instead, I’ll just stop. You get the point.