Why we write things down: a defence of the design memo

Every decision at Smart Yield Nexus that costs more than a week starts as a one-page memo. It is the cheapest tool we have found for building the right thing.

What goes in the memo

1. The problem, in two sentences, without naming a solution.
2. The options we considered, including doing nothing.
3. The recommendation, and what would change our mind.

If you cannot explain it on one page, you probably do not understand it yet.

Why it works

Writing forces the vague parts into the open. Reviewers can disagree with a sentence instead of a person. And six months later, when someone asks why the system works this way, there is an answer that does not depend on anyone’s memory.

What it is not

It is not a specification, and it is not a permission slip. It is a way to think out loud, in a form other people can read on their own time.