Technical Project Management #5: Why Small Requirements Win
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Video Description
Most teams' requirements are way too big, and it's causing problems they don't even realize. This video gives you seven distinct reasons why small requirements beat big ones — and how to know when something's small enough.
What you'll learn:
• The apple analogy: same work, manageable bites • Seven reasons small requirements win:
1. Don't choke (delivery risk)
2. Find out fast (feedback risk)
3. Flow faster (cycle time / Little's Law)
4. Stay flexible (adaptation)
5. Gifts for stakeholders (trust)
6. Wins for the team (motivation)
7. See trouble early (visibility)
• When you find out you're in trouble: 3 weeks vs. 2-3 days
• The objection flip: "What's the advantage of BIG requirements?"
• How small is small enough? Four rules of thumb
Key insights:
• Big requirements hide risk; small requirements surface problems early • The cost of being wrong scales with how long you were wrong • Frequent completions trigger dopamine — starving teams of wins kills morale • Same work delivered weekly builds trust; same work delivered in 8 weeks erodes it • If your requirement is 3 weeks, you won't know you're in trouble until day 12 • Splitting is a skill worth developing
Previous Video: Technical Gibberish vs. Human-Readable Requirements Next Video: Features vs. Requirements vs. Things That Never End ► Full Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGxFXI4dC2shCJwhTY-P2726zts26_AKF
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Which of the seven reasons resonates most with your team? Let me know in the comments!
#ProjectManagement #TechnicalPM #Agile #Scrum #Kanban #LittlesLaw #CycleTime #WIP #ProductManagement #SoftwareDevelopment #Tutorial #TechLead #EngineeringManager
0:00 Why Small Requirements Win 0:36 The Apple Analogy 0:58 The Seven Reasons 1:42 Reason #1: Don't Choke 2:23 Reason #2: Find Out Fast 3:10 Reason #3: Flow Faster 3:46 Reason #4: Stay Flexible 4:23 Reason #5: Gifts for Stakeholders 5:02 Reason #6: Wins for the Team 5:48 Reason #7: See Trouble Early 6:39 When You Find Out You're in Trouble 7:02 The Complete Picture 7:30 The Objection Flip 8:11 How Small Is Small Enough? 8:56 Key Takeaways
Video Info
- Duration: 10:02
- Published: December 04, 2025
