Seth Walsh
Iconoclast
Contributor
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2020
- Posts
- 11,192
- Reputation
- 22,909
Require evidence that the process deserves persistence.
Specify the mechanism, observable progress, maintenance cost, and evidence that would invalidate the thesis.
Persist through noise when the mechanism remains credible. Quit or redesign when prospective value deteriorates, even if the accumulated investment is large. Include switching costs, salvage value, and the information gained by continuing briefly.
Mechanism: this protects against both premature abandonment and sunk-cost lock-in. The relevant comparison is continuation from today versus the best feasible alternative—not whether the past effort can be vindicated.
Specify the mechanism, observable progress, maintenance cost, and evidence that would invalidate the thesis.
Persist through noise when the mechanism remains credible. Quit or redesign when prospective value deteriorates, even if the accumulated investment is large. Include switching costs, salvage value, and the information gained by continuing briefly.
Mechanism: this protects against both premature abandonment and sunk-cost lock-in. The relevant comparison is continuation from today versus the best feasible alternative—not whether the past effort can be vindicated.