Jianfa Tsai’s Input
ELI5: The result optimisation model; how to practically apply it? Krogerus, M., & Tschappeler, R. (2023). The decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking (New ed.). Profile Books.
Explain Like I’m 5 (ELI5)
Imagine you have three weeks to build a big Lego castle. Instead of waiting until the very last day to see if it looks good, the result optimisation model tells you to break your total time into three equal pieces of one week each. At the end of the first week, you must finish a simple, working version of the castle, even if it is small. At the end of the second week, you improve it by adding better walls and towers. By the end of the third week, you polish it up and add the final decorations, ensuring you finish a great project on time without rushing at the last minute.
Most Important Point
The result optimisation model prevents project failure by dividing timelines into three equal phases that require a functional, reviewable deliverable at each checkpoint.
Understanding the Model Mechanisms
The result optimisation model serves as a structured project management framework designed to mitigate temporal distortion and back-loaded workloads (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023). Rather than treating a deadline as a single terminal endpoint, the model demands that the total project duration be partitioned into three identical, sequential phases (Krogerus & Tschäppeler, 2023).
Each milestone forces the creation of a distinct iteration of the final output:
- Phase 1 (The Functional Baseline): Focuses entirely on structural viability. The objective is to produce a minimally viable, working iteration that addresses core requirements, ignoring aesthetic refinement or minor features.
- Phase 2 (The Refinement Stage): Focuses on expansion and optimization. The baseline is built upon, integrating necessary complexities, adjusting system architecture, and rectifying structural flaws exposed in the first phase.
- Phase 3 (The Final Polish): Focuses on quality assurance, aesthetic enhancement, and minor adjustments. No major structural changes occur in this phase; it is dedicated to ensuring the output is optimal for delivery.
Action Steps for Practical Application
Personal Life
- Apply the 1/3 Rule to Domestic Projects: When planning a personal task, such as organizing a residential garage over a 9-hour weekend window, segment the timeline into three 3-hour blocks. Dedicate the first 3 hours to sorting items into functional categories (baseline), the second 3 hours to installing shelving and placing items (refinement), and the final 3 hours to labeling and cleaning (polish).
Academic Life
- Structure Research Paper Development: When allocated a 30-day window to draft a comprehensive research manuscript, impose strict internal deadlines at day 10, 20, and 30. Complete a full, rough draft containing the core thesis and raw arguments by day 10, refine the literature integration and structural transitions by day 20, and execute final proofreading, APA 7 formatting, and reference checks by day 30.
Work Life
- Manage Product and Software Rollouts: When leading a 6-month corporate development sprint, establish hard checkpoints at months 2, 4, and 6. Require the development team to present a working prototype with core features by month 2, a feature-complete system by month 4, and a fully stress-tested, user-optimized deployment by month 6 to prevent catastrophic bottlenecks before final delivery.
Date
Saturday, June 6, 2026, 7:25 PM AEST
Authors
Jianfa Tsai (https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1809-1686) in collaboration with Gemini AI Pro.
References
Krogerus, M., & Tschäppeler, R. (2023). The decision book: Fifty models for strategic thinking (New ed.). Profile Books.