If an aspect of the project requires research and/or significant engineering/development resources, most engineers will generally “front-load” these tasks, to “get them out of the way,” and maybe allow for further refinement, as the rest of the project progresses.
This is very important, if the feature is a “central” feature of the project.
However, if it is a feature that is not “critical path,” or something that could be added after an “MVP” stage, then work on it could suck the oxygen from the important (to the end-user) features.
I call this the “Front of the Box/Back of the Box” approach.
When we are designing product packaging, the front of the box may have only two or three major “eye-catchers,” in big, obnoxious lettering.
The back of the box may have three or four more, in slightly smaller font.
The sides would have still more, in even smaller type.
The “Front of the Box” features are always the most important ones to the end-user (or, at least, that’s what we believe). Those features should always get “first cold press” treatment; even if they aren’t particularly challenging or difficult.
That way, even if the technical “whizzy-bang” stuff goes pear-shaped, or takes longer than planned, a viable MVP is still available, to generate funding and support for continuing development.
It’s amazing how often this fundamental approach is ignored.
If an aspect of the project requires research and/or significant engineering/development resources, most engineers will generally “front-load” these tasks, to “get them out of the way,” and maybe allow for further refinement, as the rest of the project progresses.
This is very important, if the feature is a “central” feature of the project.
However, if it is a feature that is not “critical path,” or something that could be added after an “MVP” stage, then work on it could suck the oxygen from the important (to the end-user) features.
I call this the “Front of the Box/Back of the Box” approach.
When we are designing product packaging, the front of the box may have only two or three major “eye-catchers,” in big, obnoxious lettering.
The back of the box may have three or four more, in slightly smaller font.
The sides would have still more, in even smaller type.
The “Front of the Box” features are always the most important ones to the end-user (or, at least, that’s what we believe). Those features should always get “first cold press” treatment; even if they aren’t particularly challenging or difficult.
That way, even if the technical “whizzy-bang” stuff goes pear-shaped, or takes longer than planned, a viable MVP is still available, to generate funding and support for continuing development.
It’s amazing how often this fundamental approach is ignored.