Oh my goodness. More times than not, I've been in experiences where either I've been around leaders or I've been the leader that has had a pet project or has just felt so strongly about something that I've decided to make the investment to go solve XYZ problem and I shortchanged problem validation that this is actually a problem worth solving.
More times than not, I was on the side where I was the problem solver. So I was the person pointed toward the problem and told go solve problem A. And in doing that, realizing that this is a waste of time, that this is a minor problem at best. And for anybody to be working on this is a total waste.
The best way to circumvent that whole situation of waste
Is to be ruthless and to be honest. We're finite. We're limited. We have a limited amount of time and because of that, we have to prioritize and we can't have an infinite to-do list. It doesn't mean that the thing doesn't need to be done because it does but just because something needs doing doesn't mean it needs to be done today and it doesn't mean that it even needs to be on our radar.
The LNO Framework
Something that's helped me a whole bunch in regards to this is a framework that I learned from Shreyas Doshi, the LNO framework, which he kind of gleaned from somebody else who had presented it in a slightly different format. But LNO stands for Leverage, Neutral, and Overhead.
The idea is that depending on the type of work that something is and how much of a problem, a meaningful problem it actually is and how well positioned I am to actually be the one to solve it, I should use my energy differently across something that's a high leverage thing for me to do versus, okay, well, the return is neutral all the way down to this is just overhead.
The LNO Framework
Leverage
High-impact work that you're uniquely positioned to solve
Neutral
Work that needs doing but has moderate impact
Overhead
Low-impact work that's often a waste of time
The HEED Approach to Problem Validation
The goal in how we approach this at HEED is that we tackle problem validation up front, and we get clear on what really is a priority and what isn't a priority, and we don't overcommit either. We will point blank tell someone, no, that's not something that we're going to be able to do and here's why.
Because our time is best leveraged on solving real problems, especially the most important ones. We've learned the hard way that saying yes to everything leads to mediocre results and wasted resources.
How We Avoid Wasting Time
- Problem validation up front before any development begins
- Clear prioritization using the LNO framework
- Willingness to say no to problems that aren't worth solving
- Focus on high-leverage solutions that drive real business impact
The problem with solving problems that don't exist is that there's just so much validation that usually doesn't happen. We're usually operating off of assumptions. And so it usually creates a ton of waste. We waste time, we waste opportunity, we waste half a year, we waste tens of thousands of dollars.
At HEED, we believe that ruthless prioritization isn't just about efficiency—it's about respect for our clients' time, money, and business goals. We'd rather solve one real problem exceptionally well than waste resources on ten problems that don't matter.