The challenges of designing and building a truly foolproof product stem from the unpredictability of human behavior. Because fools - or rather, people who behave in irrational or unexpected ways - are incredibly creative and resourceful.

As we gaze into the crystal ball to forecast the future of Artificial Intelligence, we are reminded that many AI predictions have so far proven wrong. But why is that?

Are you tired of feeling like you are stuck in a never-ending cycle of frustration, anger, or disappointment with the projects your organization is pursuing? You are not alone. In fact, so many of you reached out to me that I was motivated to write these posts about the Parade of Pointless Projects.

Let’s face it, some development projects have extremely low probabilities of success. Projects that are like zombies in your portfolio, sucking the life out of your organization. Here are a few examples of Pointless Projects: Cost-cutting, slashing product costs without considering the impact on customer value. Value destruction, removing customer value from a successful product to create a low-cost variant. Me-too products, hastily responding to the competitor’s latest move.

As we approach the holiday season, I couldn’t help but think of the guy in red – Santa Claus.   But let’s take a closer look at Santa’s business model. While it may not be the most morally admirable approach, it’s hard to deny its effectiveness.

All product companies I have worked with during my nearly 40 years in product development have had some variant of the following discussion. So if you have not yet experienced it firsthand, you probably will eventually.

Getting it right the first time is an unbeatable strategy in theory. However, in practice, it’s more like a myth perpetuated by productivity gurus (and me). Human nature is to find the easiest way forward, tempted to take the shortcut, hoping that this time is different. Take chances or wing it all in the hopes of getting it right in record time.

The irony is that these quiet customers might be the ones spending the most, being the most loyal, and advocating for your business in subtle ways.

A shining team, however, is proactive, innovative, and collaborative, working together seamlessly to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

A successfully upcycled product has higher customer value than the original. By prioritizing upcycling, we can create products that are not only more sustainable but also promote a more circular economy.

The post highlights the trade-off that often comes with taking shortcuts in product development or innovation. The phrase "lure with the promise to simplify the upfront homework" suggests that shortcuts are often appealing because they seem to make the initial work easier or faster.