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Nobody should start to undertake a large project. You start with a small _trivial_ project, and you should never expect it to get large. If you do, you'll just overdesign and generally think it is more important than it likely is at that stage. Or worse, you might be scared away by the sheer size of the work you envision. So start small, and think about the details. Don't think about some big picture and fancy design. If it doesn't solve some fairly immediate need, it's almost certainly over-designed. And don't expect people to jump in and help you. That's not how these things work. You need to get something half-way _useful_ first, and then others will say 'hey, that _almost_ works for me', and they'll get involved in the project.

Linus Torvalds#64

DesignEngineeringDevelopmentSoftware developmentStrategy

About this quote

What does it mean?
Start projects small to avoid overdesign and fear, focusing on immediate needs rather than grand plans.
In plain terms
Begin with small useful steps, not big designs.
What can you take from it?
Small starts prevent overengineering and encourage adoption.

Where it applies

  • software planning
  • startup strategy

Putting it to work

  • build MVPs
  • focus on utility over design

Questions to consider

  • How do you start a project?
  • What is overdesign?

Another view

Some complex systems require upfront large-scale planning.

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