Stop Choosing Between Fast and Good: You Can Have Both
In the fast-paced world of technology and product development, there's a common belief that you must choose between moving quickly and maintaining high quality. This false dichotomy has become an excuse that many teams hide behind. But what if we could achieve both? What if increasing speed could actually enhance quality?
The Speed-Quality Paradox
As Frank Slootman astutely noted, when teams are pushed to move faster, the immediate response is often concern about quality. However, the reality is more nuanced. Increased pressure often reveals untapped potential in our systems and processes. It's not about defying gravity – it's about eliminating inefficiencies that we didn't even know existed.
What Does High Quality Really Mean?
Quality in product development manifests in several key ways:
Ownership Mindset
True quality starts with ownership. Each team member must internalize that the buck stops with them. This means having clear, SMART plans, communicating them effectively, and being proactive about adjustments. No one should need to chase you for updates or deliverables.
Written Communication Excellence
In today's remote-first world, writing is thinking. Clear, comprehensive written communication isn't just about documentation – it's about forcing ourselves to think more deeply and clearly about our work. This includes both creating high-quality documents and providing thoughtful feedback on others' work.
Intellectual Honesty
Quality decision-making requires removing ego from the equation. The best teams evaluate ideas based on merit, not source. As Larry Ellison observed about Bill Gates, what makes a leader "dangerous" is caring more about what's right than who's right.
Speed as a Competitive Advantage
Speed isn't just about surviving as a startup – it's about thriving in a competitive landscape. Every customer interaction, every feature release, every decision is a race against time and competitors. But how do we maintain this pace without sacrificing quality?
Key Principles for Moving Fast and Breaking Nothing
Data-Driven Customer Focus: Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative customer conversations. This dual approach ensures both speed and accuracy in decision-making.
Efficient Time Management: Being fast doesn't mean being hasty. It means being efficient with resources and honest about capacity.
Disagree and Commit: Foster healthy debate, but once a decision is made, commit fully to the outcome. Anti-consensus culture, when properly implemented, accelerates decision-making without compromising quality.
Rapid Experimentation: Test hypotheses quickly and scrappily before full implementation. This approach allows teams to validate assumptions and pivot when necessary, maintaining both speed and quality.
The Compound Effect
The magic happens when speed and quality work together. High-quality work reduces the need for rework, allowing teams to move faster. Faster movement means more iterations and learning opportunities, which in turn improves quality. It's a virtuous cycle that compounds over time.
Conclusion
The choice between speed and quality is a false one. By establishing clear standards and operating principles for both, teams can achieve what might seem impossible: moving faster while simultaneously raising the quality bar. It's not about choosing one over the other – it's about leveraging each to enhance the other.
The key is to build a culture that values both equally and understands their interconnected nature. When done right, speed and quality aren't competing forces – they're complementary ones that drive sustained success in product development.