Become a learning worker by creating intermediate packets.

By narrowing the scope of my work and shipping more often, my knowledge work is more effective and valuable.

🧵 A thread with 7 reasons to create intermediate deliverables.
🔗 Link to my 2,300-word piece on the topic 👇

What are intermediate packets?

Simply put, the smallest publishable part of knowledge work.

Think outline versus email, notes versus blog post. By breaking up work into its parts and saving those, we can become much more effective.

Long version

I create intermediate packets because they help me to:

• Provide value more often
• Become interruption-proof
• Create in any circumstance
• Stay motivated
• Help my future self
• Get more and better feedback
• Avoid heavy lifts

Intermediate packets help me provide value more often.

As a knowledge worker, I only create value when my output is used by someone else. I'm in the business of ideas, but if nobody uses them, my work is useless.

Shorter bursts of output give me more opportunities to help.

Intermediate packets make me interruption- proof.

Working with knowledge means using your fragile working memory. The fuller that memory, the more impactful distractions.

Narrowing the work scope and externalizing it, it's easier to return to your work after an interruption.