Under time pressure, the goal is not perfect decisions. The goal is to avoid the expensive mistakes.
Micro‑story: a message comes in, a decision is needed in 10 minutes, and you can feel your brain wanting either to over-check or to rush.
The minimal verification plan is for exactly this moment.
Tool: “10‑2‑1” (10 minutes total).
• 10 seconds: name the decision and what “done” means.
• 2 minutes: name the single riskiest assumption.
• 7 minutes: run one check that could catch that assumption failing.
If you only have 2 minutes total, do “1‑1”: one assumption, one check.
Examples of one-check verification:
• Ask one domain expert one targeted question.
• Check one metric or one example case.
• Run one tiny test (pilot, mock, or quick prototype).
Misconception to drop: “Fast means careless.”
Fast can be high-quality if the verification step is well chosen.
7‑day plan: build a reusable “one-check library.”
For 7 days, write down the one check that would have saved you in a past mistake.
By day 7, you’ll have a small menu of checks you can reuse under pressure.
3‑line review template:
• The riskiest assumption was: ____.
• The check I chose was: ____.
• Next time I’ll choose a faster check by: ____.