Finish any project fast by defining done

When Amazon first launched its DVD mailing service in 1998, cofounder Jeff Bezos steered the team toward one clear goal: “Click once and it’s done.” No multi-page forms, no extra steps—just one click. That ruthless clarity let engineers strip away every unnecessary field, reducing the checkout process from minutes to milliseconds.

By defining completion as literally one click, the team didn’t squabble over interface design or fancy features. They focused on a single metric: can a customer reserve a DVD with one action? Once they hit that milestone, they moved on to other priorities, knowing the essential goal was sealed.

This approach falls under “defining done.” Instead of open-ended polishing or vague objectives, you create an unambiguous finish line. When everyone knows exactly what “done” looks like, you avoid wasted effort on nonessentials.

The business impact was enormous: Amazon’s one-click patent became a competitive moat, and the company scaled from a niche online bookstore to an e-commerce colossus. It all began with a single, sharply defined outcome.

Picture exactly what finished success means for your project—down to the last data point or slide title. Write one sentence that captures that vision. List only the steps that absolutely must happen to cross that line, and set a firm deadline when you’ll call it done. When that moment arrives, stop tweaking and move on. Trust that clarity breeds speed.