If you had asked me before I started this how I should approach a project, any project, or situation, or crisis, I may have done a little bit of research but after that, it would have been to just dive in. This method relies a lot on trial and error and can be okay in certain situations. However, a few steps I have learned this summer are universally applicable:
- Research
- Resources
- Math
- Execution
- Troll
Do your research: Always do your research first. If the field you are working in is unchanging and you are already an expert, you can skip this step. However, if you are an expert, you’ve already done your research and ultimately step one still applies. Doing research first can save so much time, headache, and can give good solid inspiration for your work.
Know your resources: Understand the system you are working with and what is available. For example, DTCC Swarmathon this year spent a long time worrying about stuff that was already done and available for them. If the leadership had spent more time examining what was provided to them and figuring out how it worked, they would have spent less time trying to write code that they didn’t need and inevitably never used.
Do the Math: There’s a part in the Martin and I’m not sure if it is from just the trailer, if it was in the movie or also in the book, but I know for sure its in the trailer. Anyway, in this part, it’s Mark Watney says, “let’s do the math.” This is a lesson that is so incredibly important. Not only because if there is math to be done, you should do it, but it is also a broader lesson. If there is a problem, or something, make sure you know exactly what the problem is before you go diving in with solutions. If you don’t, you can end up wasting a lot of time.
Do the thing(Execution): After you have done the first three steps to the point where you can defend every aspect of what you are trying to do… then and only then should you execute. Obviously there are fringe cases where the first three steps may need to be skipped, but if you only want to skip them… don’t. Whatever you do will end up being far worse than if you’ve seriously given the first three steps your all.
Troll: Small harmless pranks and teases are a good way for teams to bond and keep morale high…
