Question the specs: the first step to avoiding wasted effort in your projects (Inspired by Elon Musk)

Have you ever felt frustrated after putting a lot of effort into something that ended up useless?

Doing things nobody needs is one of the biggest organizational problems out there. Putting investment, time and people's attention into things that shouldn't even exist causes huge losses.

In the book Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson (check it out at this link), there's an algorithm of Elon's, recited like a mantra. It's basically 5 commandments followed in his work process. The first one is to question every requirement, and you can apply it to your projects right away. See if it makes sense.

The main reason resources get wasted

One of the biggest sources of wasted resources at companies is building things nobody needs.

Look at the resources you have available and notice how much of it has no real use. How many apps on your phone do you actually use. Of those apps, how many features do you actually use to get your day-to-day tasks done? Add to that the features you don't even know exist in the app, but that were built and are sitting there anyway.

That's a simple example, and the same reasoning applies to pretty much any part of your life.

Why does this happen?

Most waste comes from a lack of questioning.

Questioning doesn't mean saying no to every request. It means asking, reflecting, analyzing and understanding the reasons behind a requirement or specification.

In the corporate world, questioning can lead to misunderstandings, conflict, discomfort, and can even come across as disrespectful. That's why many people avoid questioning and just end up accepting things, which only reinforces the root cause of the problem.

Consequences of waste

Beyond the opportunity cost (putting those resources somewhere else), it usually comes with:

• Maintenance cost: keeping it running and available.
• Rules that take the fluidity out of the process.
• Team morale: demotivation from seeing their work have no real use.
• Automating processes that shouldn't even exist.

How to Avoid It: Question Every Requirement

According to Musk, every specification should come with the name of the person who set it. You need to know the real person's name behind that requirement.

Then you need to question it, no matter how smart or experienced that person is. He believes specs from smart people are the most dangerous, because they're less likely to be questioned, and that's exactly where the danger lies and where problems start.

How can you question it?

The first tip is to assume you're helping the other person. That'll give you confidence and courage. Follow the steps below to question things without feeling awkward about it. Try it, it works!

• Ask questions politely, with the goal of sparking reflection.
• Use the wildcard question: Really? For example: Is it possible this situation isn't entirely accurate? Did it really happen exactly like that?
• Do we have data or recorded facts backing up this claim or request?
• Is it possible this isn't entirely true?
• What are the pros and cons of doing it this way?
• Who said that? Where is it written that it has to be this way? (in the book, the only law that holds is physics, everything else is treated as a recommendation).

With these simple questions, you'll get reflection going and start reaping the benefit of the doubt, and that's where smarter solutions start to emerge.

Conclusion

Elon Musk's mantra isn't just a guideline for building rockets or electric cars. It's a mindset that can be applied to our projects or to any area of life.

Questioning requirements, going back to the source of a request, isn't an act of rebellion, it's an act of responsibility. It's an essential attitude for avoiding waste of resources, time and people's motivation.

Adopting this practice is a big step toward building things that actually matter, leading to better results and a more collaborative environment.

The message I'll leave you with is: next time you're running a project, remember: "Question every requirement."

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And while you're at it, think about your biggest frustrations with wasted effort at work!

Take care,

Leandro