Go Big Or Go...Small?

In this recent blog post, I talked about down-scaling your big idea, to reduce risk, and make implementation and testing more manageable. Sometimes, though, there isn't really a smaller version available. Sure, you can make a model or a mock-up of your moon rocket, cruise ship, or miraculous machine, but some of these things really can't be tested until they are built. For real. There's a lot of breath-holding when they are finally tested for the first time. So what can you do, to minimize the risk and keep the costs as low as possible, for as long as possible?

When you start testing components and modules, try the thing that is most likely to stop you in your tracks, first.

First, you can test the concept - does it solve the problem you are trying to solve, at least in theory. Secondly, you can build the models and mockups I talked about, above. Thirdly, you can use design thinking and decide which modules or components might cause failure and try out the most likely problem first. If that one's okay, work your way back. Test everything you can imagine, in reverse order.

Is it costly to test and try this way? Sure it is. But it's far less costly than blowing up your ship on the launchpad, sinking your vessel on her maiden voyage, or turning out hundreds of millions of misshapen widgets. So if you can't simply scale it down, break your big, audacious job into smaller, more manageable pieces.

I'm Megann Willson, and I'm a Partner at PANOPTIKA with Steve Willson. We work with clients to help them See Everything, and make better decisions. Find us on LinkedIn, or sign up to stay connected with us here.