In our last piece on embracing rapid development, we talked about how traditional consultancies trap teams in endless planning cycles. The reality is counterintuitive: the more you plan upfront, the greater the risk.
The Planning Paradox
Here’s the truth: upfront planning often increases risk. When teams invest weeks in detailed planning, two problems emerge:
Emotional Investment: Teams get attached to potentially flawed approaches, making it tough to pivot
False Security: Detailed plans create the illusion of control, making teams balk at necessary changes
We’ve seen it a lot. Teams craft their "perfect" plan, then the market changes (looking at you, USA), the customer or team’s needs shift, or tech constraints run up against iterative tech like AI. By the time they see this, they’re too invested in one particular path to pivot.
Learning Through Building
This isn’t about abandoning planning, it’s about planning to match what we know, now.
Our “no-process process” flips this approach. Instead of trying to predict every outcome, we create working prototypes to generate real insights. This isn’t about moving fast for the sake of it, it’s about knowing that progress in the real world isn’t always linear.
Real Results
A recent project proved this point. Instead of months of planning and Powerpointing, we built a prototype in two weeks. It uncovered critical customer needs we would have missed, and saved us from building flashy but expensive features.
The Human Element
The most valuable benefit? Teams, both client and agency, stay energized and creative when they're building, not stuck in meetings. This creates space for unexpected discoveries that can lead to breakthrough solutions.
Moving Forward
This isn't about eliminating planning entirely. We match our planning to what we know at each stage. Early on, when uncertainty is highest, we keep plans flexible. As we learn through building, our plans evolve based on what we really know, rather than assumptions.
The next time you're tempted to plan everything upfront, ask instead:
“What's the smallest thing we could build to test our assumptions?”
The teams that navigate uncertainty best are the ones who win.
