Start with Pen and Paper
There’s a well-known quote often credited to Peter Drucker (though, like many internet quotes, take that attribution lightly—Pablo Escobar still has an active social media presence, after all): "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
Focus on effectiveness before chasing efficiency
The most impactful tech initiatives all have one thing in common: they first ask, “What problem are we solving?” before “What technology should we use?” Only once there’s clarity on how success will be measured does the technical build begin. That sequence is crucial.
Here’s an example of this principle in action: Rather than jumping straight into building a complex AI-driven wellness app for healthy eating, start by manually creating personalized recommendations for a small user group. This “pen and paper” method helps validate the core business idea—without the burden of building out full technology upfront.
This approach doesn’t reject technology; it ensures tech is applied only when a real, validated need exists. Before investing in a solution, this validation process should address three key questions:
Is there a real business problem or opportunity here?
Can success be clearly and measurably defined?
Do users or stakeholders support the concept before development begins?
Using this low-tech, early-stage approach often uncovers valuable insights—such as unexpected process bottlenecks, behavioral patterns, or flawed assumptions—that usually only surface after heavy investment.
In a world where many digital transformation efforts underperform or fail, skipping this hypothesis-testing stage is a risk we can’t afford. Starting with validation isn’t just a smart step—it’s a hallmark of thoughtful, accountable tech leadership.