Ask HN: How Do You Juggle Multiple Projects?
17 points by rolly_polly 3 days ago | 11 comments
If you have a handful of projects you're interested in, do you cycle between them in increments- power through them in sequence, or approach them some other way?
I'm reflecting on how I approach my handful of projects; currently I change focus each day on a 4 day cycle between 4 different projects. While it feels like I'm maintaining 'multiple irons in the fire', it also feels like I'm spinning my wheels to some degree.
Reading second hand accounts of the corporate world on HN, the industry standard seems to be focusing on one thing at a time with dedicated teams - but I'm unsure if that's due to it being the best way to get the most out of a handful of workers with varied aptitudes and motivation levels - or if it's the best way for human minds to focus productive attention, hands down.
I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this topic, especially in the context of self employment.
rlupi 2 days ago | next |
Do you rotate to keep your motivation alive, or because of other reasons (e.g. let a topic simmer for a few days, so you get inspired / or reducing risks by gaining more information or knowledge over time)?
Because multitasking is the worst possible.
Let's say you want to finish A which lasts 5 units of time/effort, B which lasts 7, and C which is 6.
Compare Sequential vs Multitasking
123456789012345678
AAAAABBBBBBBCCCCCC
ABCABCABCABCABCBCC
Sequential: A done at 5, B done at 5+6=11, C done at 5+6+7=18
Multitasking: A done at 13, B done at 16, C done at 18.
And, that doesn't count the task switching costs.
So choosing multitasking only makes sense when you gain something by waiting, or have external constraints. In the context of self-employment, keeping your clients happy and calm with (the performance of) steady progress (even if it costs more than faster completion, if done in a more efficient way) may make it worth if you have to take multiple concurrent jobs at once, e.g. if you need to involve them in decision making that stall your progress.