The Hidden Value in Discovery: Why Slowing Down Speeds Up Success
In a world where rising costs and expensive technical platforms are pushing businesses to seek rapid solutions, there’s mounting pressure to deliver results at an ambitious speed. But what if this rush to the finish line is actually hindering our ability to create truly impactful solutions?
Rory Sutherland, one of the most influential thinkers in marketing and behavioural science, recently posed a provocative question in his Nudgestock keynote: “Are we too impatient to be intelligent?” This question resonates deeply with our experiences at The Code Company, particularly when it comes to the discovery and roadmapping phases of large, complex WordPress projects.
The Value of Inefficiency
Sutherland argues that engineers, technical professionals, and AI tools often optimise for speed rather than functional benefits. But in doing so, they may be missing out on crucial insights and opportunities. As he puts it:
“The value is precisely in the inefficiency in the time spent, in the pain endured, in the effort you have to invest. That’s actually where the value comes from.”
“The automatic assumption is going to be that faster is better and we need to understand when actually we need to deploy slow.”
This perspective challenges the conventional wisdom that efficiency is always the primary goal. In our work with enterprise clients, we’ve found that the most valuable insights often emerge from the seemingly ‘inefficient’ processes of discovery and roadmapping.
The Power of the Process
During his talk, Sutherland shared a compelling analogy from Jeremy Bullmore, another respected figure in the advertising world:
“If you’re a B2B client with no media budget, you should still produce an advertising campaign, even if you never run it. Because the process of producing the ad may actually be more important than the ad itself.”
This idea translates remarkably well to the world of enterprise WordPress development. The process of discovery – of deeply understanding the client’s needs, challenges, and goals – often yields insights that are more valuable than the immediate deliverables.
Discovery as a Strategic Advantage
At The Code Company, we’ve seen time and again how a thorough discovery process can transform a project. Here’s why:
- Unearthing Hidden Challenges: The questions we ask during discovery often reveal issues the client hadn’t considered. These insights can dramatically reshape the project scope and ensure we’re solving the right problems.
- Aligning Stakeholders: The discovery process brings key stakeholders together, ensuring everyone is on the same page. This alignment is crucial for project success and can prevent costly misunderstandings down the line.
- Building a Shared Vision: Through collaborative exercises and in-depth discussions, we create a shared vision of success. This vision serves as a north star throughout the project, guiding decisions and keeping everyone focused on the ultimate goals.
- Identifying Opportunities for Innovation: By taking the time to truly understand the client’s business and industry, we often identify opportunities for innovation that wouldn’t be apparent in a rushed process.
- Risk Mitigation: A thorough discovery process helps identify potential risks and challenges early, allowing us to develop mitigation strategies before they become critical issues.
The Long-Term Benefits of Short-Term ‘Inefficiency’
While it might seem counterintuitive, investing time and effort in a comprehensive discovery process can actually speed up project delivery and improve outcomes. By front-loading the hard work of understanding, planning, and aligning, we set the stage for smoother execution and fewer surprises.
Moreover, the insights gained during discovery often have value far beyond the immediate project. They can inform long-term strategy, reveal new business opportunities, and drive organisational change.
The AI Factor: Why Expert-Led Discovery Matters More Than Ever
As AI continues to advance, many aspects of software development are becoming faster and more automated. It’s not hard to imagine a future where AI plays a significant role in writing code.
However, AI will struggle in the crucial discovery, roadmapping, and solution design phases. These stages require human creativity, intuition, and the ability to ask the right questions – skills that AI, despite its rapid progress, still lacks.
The limitation of AI lies in its reliance on users to ask the right questions. In contrast, our team at The Code Company can leverage years of experience to probe for the pivotal questions – often ones that clients didn’t even know they needed to consider. This expert-led approach becomes even more valuable as the coding aspect of engineering becomes more AI-assisted.
Moreover, in large enterprise CMS projects, there are always nuanced business requirements unique to each organisation. Our expertise allows us to uncover, understand, and address these unique needs in ways that AI simply cannot match, ensuring that the final solution is tailored to the specific challenges and goals of each client.
Conclusion: Embracing the Value of Discovery
In an era where speed is often equated with success, it’s crucial to recognise the value of slowing down, especially in the early stages of a project. At The Code Company, we’ve seen how a thorough discovery process can be the difference between a good project and a great one.
By embracing the ‘inefficiency’ of discovery, we’re able to ask the right questions, uncover crucial insights, and set the stage for truly transformative solutions. In the end, this approach doesn’t just lead to better WordPress implementations – it drives real business value for our clients.
As you consider your next digital initiative, remember: sometimes, the most effective way to reach your destination is to take the time to ensure you’re on the right path from the start. In a world increasingly driven by AI and automation, this human-led, thoughtful approach to discovery might just be your most powerful competitive advantage.
