The problem of organization

TODO lists, project management software, and GTD all have the same basic problem. They push you to produce things that aren’t your end goal, to help you improve your focus, thinking, and (in the end) produce better quality software in less time. These artifacts clutter your project archives; the very things that help you create more effectively get in the way. They’re a form of noise to your project’s signal.

It’s not that these tools and techniques are bad in themselves, but our use of each should be fit into a well tuned approach to building software. An entire project delivery should be tidy, professional, and complete.

There are a few causes to the problem of organizational buildup. Our software is limited, our methods need improvement, and the unseen pieces of our project pile up and are left a mess once we ship.