Intermediate packets
Date created: 2022-07-06
The small building blocks of creative output that can be re-used in multiple projects.
My R code for example, but also writing bits. I think it could be very helpful to review potential intermediate packets from various projects. We very often re-use parts of grant applications, methods sections, documentation etc.
- Code library
- “Hook books” by songwriters
- Keep a list of important problems and test new ideas against them
Thiago Forte recommends that a review of intermediate packets and extraction of them be part of every “project shutdown” routine:
identify any Intermediate Packets I created that could be repurposed in the future. This could include a web-page design to be used as a template for future sites, an agenda for a one-on-one performance review, or a series of interview questions that might come in handy for future hires. It takes a certain lens to see each of these documents and files not as disposable, but as tangible by-products of quality thinking. Much of our work gets repeated over time with slight variations. If you can start your thinking where you left off last time, you’ll be far ahead compared to starting from zero every time. Any IPs I decide could be relevant to another project, I move to that project’s folder. The same goes for notes relevant to areas or resources. This is a forgiving decision, and it’s okay if you don’t catch every single one. The full contents of everything you archive away will always show up in future searches, so you don’t have to worry that anything will be lost. (Location 2597)