10x Impatience, as a Virtue
How to Channel This Trait to Accelerate Software Delivery
In today's fast-paced world, the ability to deliver quality software quickly is more important than ever before. As a software developer or project manager, you might be familiar with the feeling of impatience when working on a project. This impatience is often seen as a negative trait, but what if we could turn it into a virtue and use it to accelerate software delivery? In this blog post, we will explore the concept of impatience as a virtue in the context of software delivery and provide practical tips on how to channel this trait to achieve better results.
What is Impatience?
"Impatience is a fire that can either burn you or forge you into something stronger."
Impatience is generally defined as the tendency to be restless or eager to get things done, often resulting in a lack of willingness to wait for results or outcomes. While this might seem like a negative trait on the surface, the truth is that impatience can actually be a powerful force for good when used in the right context and channeled in a positive way.
Why is Impatience Often Seen as a Negative Trait?
"Impatience is the thief of time."
The reason why impatience is often seen as a negative trait is that it can lead to rash decisions, impulsive behavior, and a lack of focus on long-term goals. In many situations, this can result in suboptimal outcomes and prevent individuals and teams from achieving their full potential. However, when harnessed correctly, impatience can become a driving force that pushes individuals and teams to think creatively, act decisively, and deliver results more quickly.
How Can Impatience Be a Virtue in the Context of Software Delivery?
"Impatience is the mother of innovation."
In the world of software development, the ability to deliver high-quality software quickly is crucial for staying ahead of the competition and meeting customer expectations. Impatience, when channeled properly, can become a powerful motivator that drives teams to find new ways to optimize their processes, reduce waste, and ultimately deliver better software faster.
How to Channel Impatience to Accelerate Software Delivery
"Impatience is a powerful force, but it can be harnessed for good.”
Set Clear Goals and Deadlines
One of the key ways to harness impatience is by setting clear goals and deadlines for your software projects. This helps to create a sense of urgency and provides a clear target for your team to aim for, ensuring that everyone is working towards the same objective.
Break Down Large Tasks into Smaller, More Manageable Ones
Impatience can be particularly useful when tackling large, complex tasks. By breaking these tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces, you can create a sense of progress and accomplishment as each part is completed. This not only keeps the momentum going but also helps to maintain focus and motivation throughout the project.
Prioritize Tasks and Focus on the Most Important Ones First
To make the most of your impatience, it's essential to prioritize tasks effectively. By focusing on the most important tasks first, you ensure that your energy and attention are directed towards the areas of the project that will have the most significant impact on the overall success of the software delivery.
Don't Be Afraid to Experiment and Try New Things
Impatience can be a driving force for innovation and experimentation. By embracing this eagerness to find new solutions and try new approaches, you can potentially uncover more efficient and effective ways to complete tasks and deliver software more quickly.
Be Willing to Fail and Learn from Your Mistakes
One of the most important aspects of channeling impatience in a positive way is being willing to fail and learn from your mistakes. This means being open to taking risks and embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, ultimately leading to better and faster software delivery.
Communicate Regularly with Your Team and Stakeholders
Regular communication is key to ensuring that impatience is channeled productively. By keeping your team and stakeholders informed about project progress, challenges, and successes, you can help to ensure that everyone remains aligned and focused on the common goal of delivering high-quality software quickly. This also helps to build trust and foster collaboration, which are essential components of successful software delivery.
Celebrate Successes and Learn from Failures
Finally, it's important to recognize and celebrate the achievements of your team throughout the software delivery process. Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of your team members can help maintain motivation and keep impatience in check. Additionally, take the time to learn from any failures or setbacks, using these experiences as an opportunity for growth and improvement.
Innovation at Gunpoint
"Impatience is a virtue when it drives innovation."
At Springpath, I was faced with a high-pressure situation where my team and I had to develop Native Replication and Disaster Recovery technologies under tight deadlines. This project was essential for our company's acquisition by Cisco, other suitors (and the storage market in general) were running dry. I knew that I had to lead my team effectively to achieve our goals within the given timeframe.
My impatience in this scenario acted as a catalyst, driving me and my team to deliver exceptional results and stay focused on our objectives. I was determined to push through any obstacles and ensure that we met the deadlines, no matter how challenging they seemed. As a result, we successfully developed the technologies required, ultimately expanding the Total Addressable Market (TAM) by 30% and generating $20M in revenue.
This experience taught me the value of being impatient in certain situations, as it can act as a motivating force to propel a team forward and achieve seemingly impossible goals. My ability to innovate under gunpoint and navigate high-pressure situations demonstrated my strength as a leader who can inspire and guide a team even when faced with daunting challenges.
Conclusion
Impatience, when harnessed correctly, can be a powerful force for good in the context of software delivery. By channeling your impatience in a positive and focused manner, you can accelerate the delivery of high-quality software, ultimately benefiting both your team and your customers. Remember to set clear goals, break down tasks, prioritize effectively, embrace experimentation, learn from mistakes, communicate regularly, and celebrate successes. By doing so, you can turn impatience into a driving force for innovation.
~10xManager