Converting Process to Progress
In any endeavor, the process often holds greater value than the deliverable itself. This is because the process is the series of actions and decisions that are repeated throughout multiple projects, influencing many outcomes. While this idea sounds straightforward, it's not immediately obvious why one might prioritize the refinement of process over focusing solely on the deliverable.
From Pallino’s perspective, this shift in mindset means we focus not only on what we deliver but also on how we achieve the results. For a specialized niche service like ours, executing process effectively can greatly change outcomes for clients.
For Pallino, the key process themes include:
Testing hypotheses with every iteration: We think of each adjustment as an opportunity to test a hypothesis, refining our approach along the way.
Eliminating bias: A strong process helps prevent ownership bias, ensuring decisions and results are not clouded by personal attachment to an idea or approach.
Building confidence in the results: The most important aspect of a solid process is it leads to confidence in results, no matter the outcome.
Here are a few practical ways we implement these principles:
Code reviews: The author of code never vets his/her own code at Pallino. Similarly, having a junior on the client-side check the work is better than their creative lead conducting the check.
Research integrity: Conducting research based on statistics and rigid methods enables clients to trust outcomes even when the outcomes are undesirable. This helps the client redesign the idea - or move on - more quickly.
Resilience during down periods: In fields like trading or research, there are usually phases of unprofitability. A solid process gives you the confidence to persevere through drawdowns.
Troubleshooting in production: Keeping detailed notes during the building phase makes troubleshooting easier, especially downstream when intensity is high and challenges arise in production.
Time efficiency: A front-loaded process will save time in the long run. Addressing potential misunderstandings or logic conflicts in the scope of work early on helps avoid delays later.
When we deliver results to a client, we want to ensure that we’ve learned something valuable. If we achieve that, then process drives progress.
Pallino: On Target
