Go for #3

One of the early – and best – career lessons came from my boss, when I was 2 years out of college.

I agonized over a design decision for a couple of days, and finally asked him to help me out. He was late to a meeting, so was rushing, but agreed to listen to me for 30 seconds.

I started describing the first of 3 options, and his eyes started glazing over.

He told me ‘Stop. Just go for option #3′.

‘What!?’ I asked. ‘ I have not even describe the options 2 and 3 to you’.

His answer has stayed with me throughout the rest of my career.

‘Look’, he said ‘ I know you, and I know how you think. So let me be straight with you’.

‘Option #1 is going to be too expensive to implement. Forget that’.

‘Option #2 – forget that. You are not smart enough to implement it’.

‘So, just go for #3′.

Ever since, Whenever I am faced with design choices, I write down 3 options. Then I carefully scratch out #1 and #2, and go for #3. Works like a charm