The Hidden Cost of “Just Getting Started”
Every organization knows this moment.
There’s pressure.
There’s momentum.
There’s a budget window, a deadline, or an impatient stakeholder.
And someone says it:
“Let’s not overthink this. Let’s just get started.”
It sounds reasonable. Mature, even. Action over analysis.
And yet, months later, the same project is slowed down by confusion, rework, tension, and escalation — all traced back to the beginning that was supposedly fast.
Why “Just Starting” Feels So Attractive
“Just getting started” is rarely about speed.
It’s about avoiding discomfort.
Clarity requires decisions.
Decisions create disagreement.
Disagreement creates tension.
Starting early allows teams to:
- Defer hard conversations
- Postpone trade-offs
- Hide uncertainty behind activity
Motion replaces direction. And movement creates the illusion of progress.
Being busy feels safer than being precise.
The Hidden Assumption Behind Fast Starts
Fast starts are built on an unspoken belief:
“We’ll figure it out along the way.”
Sometimes that works.
But more often, what actually happens is this:
- Different people “figure out” different things
- Assumptions diverge quietly
- Alignment is assumed instead of tested
By the time misalignment surfaces, work is already invested — which makes correction emotionally and politically expensive.
The cost wasn’t avoided.
It was deferred.
Where the Cost Shows Up Later
The price of premature starts rarely appears at the beginning.
It accumulates silently and shows up later as:
- Rework framed as “learning”
- Tense prioritisation discussions
- Stakeholder frustration
- Delivery pressure without clarity
- Escalations that feel sudden but aren’t
What looked like speed early on becomes drag over time.
The faster the start without clarity,
the slower the system becomes later.
Speed vs. Readiness
The problem is not speed.
The problem is confusing speed with readiness.
Readiness doesn’t mean knowing everything.
It means knowing enough — together.
Good starts usually include:
- Shared intent: why are we doing this now?
- Clear constraints: what are we not solving?
- Explicit ownership: who decides when trade-offs appear?
- Known unknowns: what we expect to learn next
None of this requires perfection.
All of it requires conversation.
Why Leaders Often Push Fast Starts
Leaders are rarely reckless.
But they are often under pressure.
Starting quickly signals decisiveness.
Pausing for clarity can look like hesitation.
Yet leadership is not about accelerating activity.
It’s about reducing downstream friction.
The irony is this:
A short pause at the beginning often saves months later — but only if leaders are willing to tolerate temporary discomfort.
A Better Question Before Starting
Instead of asking:
“Can we start now?”
Try asking:
- What problem are we actually solving?
- What would success look like for different people?
- What assumptions would hurt us most if they were wrong?
- What needs to be clear before speed makes sense?
If these questions feel annoying,
they’re probably necessary.
Closing Thought
“Just getting started” is not neutral.
It’s a decision —
to delay clarity,
to externalize uncertainty,
and to let the system absorb the cost later.
The most expensive delays often begin with the words:
“We’ll sort it out as we go.”
Sometimes the fastest move
is to stop —
and think together first.