Prioritize High-Impact Coding Tasks

Prioritizing a quick win is tempting.  But do they really drive your product forward? Recently, I was faced with prioritizing two features: One was an empty state screen—a low-effort, easy win for engineers. The other was the initial step for a more robust, impactful feature. The improved empty state screen would wrap up nicely with other tickets planned for that sprint. The second feature, however, required more groundwork and higher effort. Though tempted by the quick win, I ultimately chose the latter. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. The first option, while quick and easy, would have minimal influence on our goals. Releasing features for the sake of “shipping” can easily turn a team into a “feature factory.” The second option, though harder to build, aligned more closely with our success metrics. By prioritizing high-impact features early, we get closer to our goals faster than if we shipped a series of smaller, low-impact updates. A popular prioritization framework I use is 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘: • 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵: How many users will this feature impact? • 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: How much will this feature drive us toward our success metrics? • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: What is the likelihood that this feature will yield the expected results? • 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁: Assessed by engineers, this reflects the complexity of building the feature. In my case, the empty state screen scored low in reach and impact, only affecting a small subset of users with minimal influence on key metrics. Meanwhile, the robust feature had high reach, high impact, and high confidence, making the extra effort worthwhile. Remember, product success isn’t about how many features you ship; it’s about the impact those features create.

Your "to-do list" is killing your startup 👉This decision matrix saved three of my clients from burnout. After guiding hundreds of startups through critical inflection points, I've noticed a pattern: The most successful founders don't just make good decisions, 𝚝̲𝚑̲𝚎̲𝚢̲ ̲𝚖̲𝚊̲𝚔̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚝̲𝚑̲𝚎̲𝚖̲ ̲𝚒̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚝̲𝚑̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚛̲𝚒̲𝚐̲𝚑̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚜̲𝚎̲𝚚̲𝚞̲𝚎̲𝚗̲𝚌̲𝚎̲.̲ Here's the 2×2 matrix I use to prioritize decisions: 🔥 HIGH IMPACT / LOW EFFORT → Do immediately → These are your leverage points → Example: Fixing a critical UX issue blocking conversions ⏱️ HIGH IMPACT / HIGH EFFORT → Schedule deliberately → These need focused attention → Example: Rebuilding your pricing strategy ⚙️ LOW IMPACT / LOW EFFORT → Delegate or automate → These create incremental improvement → Example: Optimizing email sequences 🚫 LOW IMPACT / HIGH EFFORT → Eliminate ruthlessly → These are disguised distractions → Example: Pursuing partnerships with minimal market overlap 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩? The 🚫 LOW IMPACT / HIGH EFFORT zone is where founders often spend 40% of their time on activities that generate less than 5% of their results. This isn't about working less, it's about ensuring your effort goes to activities that actually move the needle. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. I𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻. What's one Low Impact/High Effort activity you could eliminate this week to reclaim your strategic advantage? ⚡ Save this → reference when planning your week Follow me for insights on navigating the startup ecosystem's unwritten rules 🚀 ♻️ Repost to help other founders work smarter, not just harder

Want to tackle the most impactful data projects? Use the RICE scoring model to sort them by priority! RICE stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. It’s a useful framework to prioritize tasks and projects effectively. 1. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵: Estimate how many people your project will affect. For example, how many teams will make decisions based on my results?     2. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Estimate the potential benefit. Will this project bring significant improvements or minor enhancements? Rate it on a scale e.g., 1 to 5.     3. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Assess how confident you are in your estimates. High confidence boosts the project’s score, while low confidence lowers it. Be honest about your uncertainties regarding data quality and model complexity (0.0 to 1.0).     4. 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁: Calculate the time and resources required to complete the project. Measure it in person-hours or team-days. Less effort means a higher score. C͟a͟l͟c͟u͟l͟a͟t͟i͟o͟n͟ 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort E͟x͟a͟m͟p͟l͟e͟ You will reach 50 sales managers with your model and estimate an impact of 4 out 5 on their work. You're fairly certain about achieving your goal with a rate of 0.8. It will take you about 80 hours of work to build the model. 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 = (50 × 4 × 0.8) / 80 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 =  2 You can compare this score of 2 versus the other project scores and select the one with the highest value. Use the RICE model to sort and prioritize your data projects. It ensures you’re focusing on high-impact tasks that require reasonable effort and have solid confidence behind them. Regularly revisit and adjust your scores as new data or insights become available. This keeps your priorities aligned with changing business goals. By applying the RICE scoring model, you’ll increase the efficiency of your project management, ensuring you’re working on what truly matters. How do you currently prioritize your data projects? ---------------- ♻️ Share if you find this post useful ➕ Follow for more daily insights on how to grow your career in the data field #dataanalytics #datascience #rice #projectmanagement #prioritization

Last month, I turned down 5 great projects All of them were promising And yet, I said a resounding "No" to all of them. Why? Currently, my full focus is on building a world-class operating system at notus, and thus, I must carefully prioritize my projects. If you constantly suffer from shiny object syndrome like I do, then you will understand that it’s too easy to start working on stuff with no impact. To avoid this, I started using this 3-step process to prioritize my projects. 1. Capture ideas and projects I start by creating a master list of all my current ideas and projects. When I log an idea into my project database, it includes: - Project name and description - Description of the current process (status quo) - Why this project is needed and what is the expected outcome 2. Prioritize with an Impact/Effort Matrix I evaluate each project using the Impact/Effort Matrix. Here's how it works: · Do It Quadrant (High Impact + Low Effort) I start these projects as soon as possible! They are quick hits and also contribute directly to my goals. · Plan It Quadrant (High Impact + High Effort) This is where I spend most of my time and energy. But I plan anything on this quadrant before executing. · Time Waster Quadrant (Low Impact + Low Effort) These are tasks that I deprioritize or delegate to someone else. Ideally to someone for whom they might be important. · Avoid Quadrant (Low Impact + High Effort) These are the pointless activities that distract me from my goals. Sometimes they are necessary but I try to limit my time on these as much as possible. 3. Prioritize 2-3 projects Finally, I choose 2-3 priorities based on the best impact/effort position But I don’t start working on them right away! I perform a ROI Assessment before (Return of Investment) How? This is a topic for another post! I am sure that there will be times when I won’t need this super-powerful framework to prioritize all of my work But, right now, my focus is to improve and simplify our core service, by building a world-class operating system. Therefore, projects that do not fall into this goal will receive a "No." Do you use a different prioritization system? Share it in the comments! #projectmanagement #prioritization #operations

Back in my days as a junior engineer, there was a Senior Staff Engineer on my team who worked 40-45 hours a week and yet only pushed a few dozen commits per half.  At first, I didn’t understand it.  I was grinding away, writing code daily, and fixing bugs, while this engineer barely seemed to contribute.  But over time, I realized something game-changing about how high-impact engineers actually work.  So, what did they do?  🔹 They found the biggest inefficiencies and fixed them.   - Instead of churning out new features, they dug into legacy systems, identified slow code paths, and removed bottlenecks that had existed for years.  🔹 They focused on debugging at scale.   - They didn’t just fix bugs. They found the bugs that mattered, the ones costing the company millions in inefficiencies, latency, and downtime.  🔹 They were masters of system-level thinking.   - They understood that a 0.2-second reduction in a critical API response time could lead to millions in revenue gains and a better user experience.  🔹 They made existing systems more efficient.   - One fix they made? A small caching optimization that reduced database queries by 30%, cutting infrastructure costs dramatically.  The Real Lesson?  +  Impact > Lines of Code   - Writing 10,000 lines of new code isn’t as valuable as removing 1,000 lines of bad code that slow everything down.  +  Find the real problems   - The most impactful engineers aren’t just feature builders—they investigate, debug, and solve system-wide inefficiencies.  +  Optimizations drive massive value   - Small, strategic fixes at scale can save millions in infrastructure costs or increase revenue without adding new features.  ► What junior engineers can learn from this?  🔸 Stop thinking that impact = writing more code.   🔸 Learn how to debug and optimize instead of just building new things.   🔸 Look beyond your task list, find inefficiencies, improve what already exists, and focus on long-term system health.  Because the best engineers aren’t the ones who ship the most code.  They’re the ones who make the entire system better. – P.S: If you're preparing for a SWE role, do check out my guide on behavioral interviews. If you want to break into big tech, startups, or MAANG companies, you must ace the behavioral round. This guide will help you do it → https://lnkd.in/drnsTNhU (210 engineers are already using this!)

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... How do you decide what to focus on when everything feels urgent? It’s not a theoretical discussion. Right now, strategies are shifting monthly in response to a volatile geopolitical and economic landscape. Financial realities are forcing tough calls. Teams are being asked to deliver more with less. In moments like these, the ability to prioritize with clarity isn’t just helpful, it’s essential to keeping the business on track, protecting your team’s energy, and focusing on what truly adds value. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲. Here’s what I come back to when the pressure is on: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 – If it doesn’t support our business goals, it’s not a priority. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Business goals evolve fast. Review them regularly with your leadership peers to ensure priorities still align. 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 – Will it actually move the needle? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Be ruthless here. If the answer is no, park it. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 – If we take this on, what gets delayed, swapped, or delegated? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Audit workloads openly and create the space for people to speak up before deadlines are at risk. 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲-𝗼𝗳𝗳 – What are we not doing if we say yes to this? Is it worth it? 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Name the sacrifice so it’s visible, then decide if it’s the right one. 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 – Commit to what you’ve promised, and if priorities shift, have an honest conversation with those affected. 𝘛𝘪𝘱: Be transparent early. Explain the change, the reason, and the new plan so stakeholders feel informed, not blindsided. 👉 My go-to tool is a simple impact vs. resources quadrant: 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Quick wins, do them. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Golden priorities, choose with care. 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Fillers, only if capacity allows. 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 + 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Rethink, stop or reframe. AI has expanded what our teams can take on, but that doesn’t mean we fill the space with more activity. It means we focus on the work that matters most, now and in the future. If you want to dig deeper, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (links in the comments): 𝗘𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 – Classic urgent vs. important decision tool. 𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 – Harvard/BCG method for predicting project success. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 – Research on trust and human sustainability in leadership. How do you approach prioritization when everything is fighting for first place?