Underpromise - Overdeliver

How to deliver more by working less

There is a common understanding that working full-time is all about meeting the bare minimum criteria for what is expected. Keep it quiet, do your job and get paid every month. It works if that’s all you want to do.

And it’s okay. Not everybody is ambitious and wants to deal with the stress and challenges of showing off outside their box. The beauty of software is that we all work together in harmony (usually 😄)

I like to do more than I’m expected to. It served me well over the two decades I pent writing code. The Underpromise-Overdeliver mantra carried me through my career.

Underpromise

In a time when social media is everywhere, it’s easy to look at people and be amazed by their success. At the extreme, you see the influencer with Lambos and expensive watches travelling to exotic places all year round. The separation between you and them allows them to build that image.

In the workplace, where you see people day in and day out, it’s way harder to show off in a rented car and wear a rented expensive watch throughout the year. It’s way more straightforward.

You either do what you say or you don’t.

That’s why I don’t say much. I stick to what’s within the scope of delivery. That’s a promise.

As an Engineer, I know first-hand how the cockiness and enthusiasm can cloud my vision. Many projects “that will take a week” ended up in a month or more of work. Now, I stay grounded and would rather be pessimistic.

It’s fair for both sides. I’m less stressed about overambitious goals, and stakeholders have realistic data against which they can plan their next steps.

Overdeliver

The most critical part of over-delivery is delivering what’s expected.

We love fancy solutions and working with new technologies, especially in tech. I’ve been in a place where novelty took priority over the basics. I made the mistake (many times) of thinking I was overdelivering when, in reality, I was way under.

Overdelivery is not about being cute. It’s all about being so good at the basics that they take less time and effort. Then, you spend what you saved on going beyond expectations.

Interior design doesn’t matter if the house has a weak foundation and collapses.

The path

The first step is to start saying no.

It felt weird at the beginning to say no to additional features and focus on the most necessary code that must be delivered. There is the feeling of greatness I felt when I felt I could say I could deliver everything. It had short legs, as all lies have and fell over when the deadline approached.

Also, under pressure, the technical debt becomes the get-out-of-jail card. Hack this and that, and it will work, and we don’t have time now to fix it. I’ll fix it later (usually means never; sometimes, it’s when it causes so many problems you’re forced to fix it.

The most crucial first step of overdelivering is defining the basics and getting them right.

You know it already because everybody speaks about the Most Valuable Product. We know it at the product level and can use it for features. Instead of looking at the greatest solution, ask yourself: What’s the most impactful part of your work today?

You will deliver less at the same time. It enables you to deliver better code. As you practice you get faster.

The result

You’ve made your own time.

You can use it to learn, improve projects, or solve technical debt. You can also take time to rest and relax. Whatever you choose, it’s a win for you.

Now you’re known as the engineer who delivers on time and with quality. You also have time to better yourself, help others or recharge to start new tasks with positive energy.