Test Which Constraints Are Actually Fixed
Added 2026-11-06
Most "cannot change" merely means nobody tried.
This plan runs into these constraints: [budget, time, people, compliance, legacy systems]. Test each one: 1) separate hard constraints — legal, physical, contractual — from soft ones that are convention, habit, or simply never questioned; 2) for each soft constraint, name a verifiable way to check: who to ask, what to look up, how small a test would do; 3) describe how the plan changes if that constraint loosens; 4) mark which constraints we imposed on ourselves; 5) give the smallest experiment that relaxes one; 6) say which constraint should not be loosened even if it could be.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
Before accepting "cannot change", ask who set it and on what basis.
Try tweaking it
- Ask what evidence would overturn the judgement.
- Have it argue both sides with three reasons each.
What you should get
- A decision table: assumptions, evidence, counter-evidence
- A next action with an observable signal
Common mistakes
- Asking only "should I?" and getting equally valid answers both ways.
- Never asking for counter-examples, so you only hear support.
How to check the output
- It states what evidence would overturn the conclusion.
- Both sides are argued, with assumptions marked as such.
Where it works
- Good for: splitting a decision into assumptions, evidence and counter-cases, leaving the call to you.
- Watch out: ask what evidence would overturn the judgement, or you will only hear supporting reasons.