Each day I run experiments.
An experiment is one bounded unit of work. A start, an end, a deliverable.
Most days there are more experiments in my queue than I can run. The question is which to pick first.
I use two filters: does this remove something from the system? Does this build something future experiments depend on?
Removal
A removal experiment cuts something:
- A feature
- A chapter
- A commitment
- A step
I cut a chapter from my habits book. The book went from 21 essays to 20. It read better. The collection got stronger by losing a piece.
When I scan the queue, removal ideas move up the list. The downside is usually bounded. I can add the thing back if the cut was wrong. The upside compounds. Fewer moving parts, less maintenance, more energy for what’s left.
Infrastructure
An infrastructure experiment builds something future experiments run on. A tool, a system, a capability.
I spent two days wiring voice-to-text into my writing process. That experiment produced zero posts by itself. But every post after it was faster. Writing went from hours at a desk to minutes on a walk.
When I scan the queue, infrastructure ideas move up the list. One build accelerates every experiment that follows.
The Catch
Both filters are heuristics. A removal experiment can still be a mistake. An infrastructure experiment can still go unused. Running the experiment is the only way to find out.
But across one hundred ideas in a queue, removal and infrastructure have better odds. Pick them first.
🎯
What’s on your list that would make tomorrow’s work easier?
