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 here:
https://t.co/PtKv38gbYK
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.
Intermediate packets help me create regardless of circumstances.

Small, clearly scoped pieces of work enable me to match tasks to my current environment and energy level. The only condition for a working session is that I produce something I can ship, no matter how small.
Intermediate packets keep me motivated.

Finishing up work more often and shipping it out for feedback is scary but also a powerful motivator. I have something to show, and the feedback makes it better.
Intermediate packets help my future self.

My future self is just as much a reality for me as other people are. Whatever I produce is not only useful for others but also for myself.

Sending valuable packages through time, I make my own life easier.
Intermediate packets get me more and better feedback.

People are more willing to provide feedback when it's a draft and requires just a few minutes of their time.

Bonus points if I can make people feel heard and show that they influenced the final deliverable.
Intermediate packets make heavy lifts a thing of the past.

When delivering a project, I don't need to do a big final push. Projects are a series of short loops where I produce or repurpose knowledge, share it, and integrate the feedback. I simply assemble pieces at the end.
These are my reasons for doing work in intermediate packets.

This idea of creating smaller deliverables was taught to me by @fortelabs. His article on bending your productivity curves is worth reading if you want to get deeper into the why of this all.
https://t.co/VIXAkQ4QZR

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