🎉
Playbooks
  • 👋Welcome
  • Smarty Course Catalog
    • Maximizing Your Free Trial
      • 🚀Welcome to Smarty
      • 🧠Day 1: Plan your best day, every day
      • 🔄Day 2: No task left behind
      • 🗃️Day 3: Organize with projects
      • 💬Day 4: Natural Language meets Scheduling!
      • 🌐Day 5: All your worlds, in one place
      • 🔗Day 6: Share slots that work for you
      • 🤝Day 7: Simplify mutual meeting times
      • 🌎Day 8: Master global timezones
      • ⌨️Day 9: Speed up with shortcuts
      • ⚡Day 10: Unified views + what's next?
  • The Productivity Pulse
    • Thought Pieces
      • How to Protect Your Time with Time Blocking
      • Minimize Context-Switching and Do More Deep Work
      • Be More Productive with Micro-Tasking
      • How to Stick to Routines When Life Breaks Them
      • 3 Cognitive Biases That Sabotage Our Productivity
    • Which Mental Model When?
      • About to drop the ball? Try the Pareto Principle
      • Stuck and trying to innovate? First Principles + 5 Whys
      • Overwhelmed building something new? Gall's Law
      • Micromanaging? Let go of the Illusion of Control
      • Need to adapt fast? Ditch the map
      • Anxious about a big project? Try a pre-mortem
      • Need a fresh problem solving angle? Think in reverse
      • Feeling stuck? Try re-framing
      • Trying to work smarter? Find your leverage
      • Not thinking clearly? Check your contrast bias
      • Want a successful outcome? Build margins of safety.
      • Stuck decision making? Use Occam's Razor
      • Seeking clarity in complexity? Try Bayesian Reasoning.
      • Want more freedom? Master discipline.
      • Missing the big picture? Avoid the Narrative Fallacy.
      • Want more control? Reduce daily life entropy
      • Too many options? Master the Paradox of Choice
      • Stuck? Red Queen Effect: Directional Iteration matters
      • Tracking Fake Progress? Galilean Relativity
      • Feedback Loops
      • Too many options? Try the 37% Rule + Satisficing
    • How I Work Series
      • How I Work: Haily Marzullo, Founder of Humankind
      • How I Work: Andrew Case, Founder at NoonBrew
      • How I Work: Jenna Movsowitz, Managing Editor - Startup CPG
  • ⬇️The Founder's Perspective
  • My Productivity Playbook
    • ✅Getting Things Done
      • Time is a fixed commodity *
      • Maximize Your 24 Hours: 5 Strategies to Optimize the Day *
      • 3 tips for mastering focus, instead of chasing more time *
      • Eisenhower Matrix = Plan Your Days! *
      • There is a right way to prioritize *
      • Timeblock Everything *
      • To think clearly, subtract the unnecessary
      • How to manufacture flow *
      • Stress is your greatest performance enhancer *
      • Character Invention Theory
      • 3 reasons you’re making excuses and how to get back on track *
      • Build in Public
      • Luck = Doing x Telling *
      • Your network is your net worth
      • Luck = Sum of Daily Micro-Actions
    • 🗺️Goals
      • Your vision your GPS *
      • Make a plan *
      • Prioritize the long-term *
      • Think big. Start small. *
      • It's not enough to dream. You have to do. *
      • Focus on Direction, Not Speed *
      • If something isn't working, make a change *
      • The Physics of Productivity *
      • Momentum of Productivity
      • Keep Showing Up
      • A baby step is better than stopping
      • Doubt is removed by action *
      • Create a bias for action
      • It's not enough to set a goal
      • The secret to GTD? Reverse-engineer goals into habits.
    • 💪Habits vs. Motivation
      • Motivation is Overrated *
      • Consistency breeds motivation *
      • consistency > motivation *
      • Tying our habits to our identity for intrinsic motivation *
      • How to break down your goals into habits *
      • Habits let you level up *
      • New habits should feel easy *
      • So easy to do, you always say yes *
      • Start small, reap big *
      • Habit Stacking *
      • Never miss a habit twice
    • 🌿Growth Opportunities
      • 1% Better Every Day *
      • The infinite dance of continuous improvement *
      • Innovation is not a linear path *
      • The only comparison that matters is to you yesterday *
      • Self-doubt is a distorted lens *
      • Our biases are our reality's architect
      • Outlearn to Outperform *
      • How fast you learn from your mistakes is the real competitive advantage *
      • Compete with yourself
      • Learning is a skill. There is a right way to do it.
      • Mistakes = Growth Opportunities *
      • Loss aversion keeps us playing it safe *
      • An expert has failed more than novice has even tried *
      • Your markers for success progress as you do *
      • See Problems as Opportunities
      • 3 steps to help focus on inner growth
    • 🌟Best Practices
      • Over-thinking? Write. Under-thinking? Read. *
      • Prioritize Facts
      • Embrace unknown unknowns *
      • Master the art of thinking ahead *
      • Timeliness Beats Flawlessness *
      • Aim for Excellence, not Perfection
      • Actions speak louder than words *
      • A miscommunicated idea is an opportunity lost
      • Work smarter, not harder *
      • Take calculated leaps, not blind jumps *
      • Regret Minimization Framework *
      • 45% Purpose + 45% Priority + 10% Productivity = Success *
      • 3 reasons why single-tasking is a game-changer
      • Genius is found in simplicity
    • 💖Self-Care
      • Ikigai *
      • Memento Mori *
      • Manage Your Mindset *
      • Transform your inner voice from a bully into your bestie
      • Make time to explore
      • Your authentic self *
      • Free time is a call option
      • From a tiny seed, great dreams can grow *
      • 5 Strategies for Preventing Burnout *
      • You can't pour from an empty cup *
      • Celebrate Your Wins *
      • Your energy matters *
      • Make the time to recharge! *
      • By changing nothing, nothing changes *
      • The Four Pillars of Productivity *
    • My 5 Biggest Life Lessons
      • 1. Have a Plan
      • 2. Keep Showing Up
      • 3. Assume Positive Intent
      • 4. Your Network is Your Net Worth
      • 5. Luck = Doing x Telling
  • My Founder's Journey
    • Smarty's Origins
    • Smarty isn't a productivity tool. It's a mindset.
      • Brain Dumping with Smarty
      • Prioritizing with Smarty
      • Time Blocking with Smarty
      • Solving Stress with Smarty
      • Your Way with Smarty
    • My Personal Productivity Journey
      • Methodologies
        • How to work faster
        • How to reduce overwhelm
        • How to create the right habits
        • How to stop procrastinating
        • How to manufacture flow
        • How to declutter your digital environment
        • How to make the menial feel magical
      • Musings
        • Managing Your Mindset
        • Finding Ikigai Led to Smarty
        • What I do with the mental energy Smarty frees up for me
        • Hard truth: you don't need more time
        • Hot take: don't go with your gut
        • You can't rely on motivation
        • Reaching a flow state - every day!
        • My 4 Quarters Method
        • Combatting Procrastination
        • My Perspective on Productivity Tools
      • Live with Intention
    • My Mission & Vision with Smarty
      • Smarty Makes Automation Accessible
      • Smarty Cuts Through Productivity Software Clutter
      • Smarty + AI/ML/NLP
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  1. The Productivity Pulse
  2. Which Mental Model When?

Overwhelmed building something new? Gall's Law

PreviousStuck and trying to innovate? First Principles + 5 WhysNextMicromanaging? Let go of the Illusion of Control

Last updated 1 year ago

Are you feeling overwhelmed building something new from scratch?

As a startup founder, I've fallen into the trap of trying to build the perfect product, only to get delayed by the complexities of my vision.

I know better now - I use Gall's Law! 🚀

This mental model is a lifesaver when facing complex projects.

John Gall, a systems theorist, believed that all complex systems that work evolved from simpler systems that worked.

So if you're trying to build something complex, start simple, prototype and then iterate.

Gall’s Law is a reminder to stay away from the pitfalls of diving deep into complexity without a proven foundation.

So start simple, and then let it evolve.

I’m diving deeper into Gall’s Law and other mental models that have helped me grow as a startup founder. Join me and let’s explore together! 


Thanks! 🌍