Report

Autopsy #002 — Busy teams, nothing finished

Published: October 28, 2024
Symptom
High activity, low completion.
Context
  • Team size: 11
  • Stage: Series A
  • Stack: React, GraphQL, Kubernetes
  • Domain: Internal tooling
What they thought the problem was
Lack of process.
What the autopsy found
  • →Too many parallel initiatives
  • →No shared definition of "done"
  • →Progress measured by motion, not outcomes
Early warning signs they missed
  • →Work rarely crossed the finish line
  • →Everyone was busy, no one could point to impact
  • →"Almost done" became permanent
Outcome
Autopsy proceeded.