Episode Summary

Most teams confuse ambition with inventory. The NBA Rule keeps the week honest: limit the work‑in‑progress to three shippable outcomes, define the Friday demo before you start, and measure results on a single scorecard. The constraint isn’t punitive—it’s productive.

What You’ll Hear (Chapters)

• 00:00–03:30 — Why three? The psychology of limits and why four priorities produce zero outcomes.

• 03:30–12:00 — Picking NBAs RICE‑Lite scoring in five minutes.

• 12:00–20:00 — Friday demo first Make “done” visible before you begin.

• 20:00–27:00 — Instrument before polish UTMs, intent labels, and the only metrics that matter this week.

• 27:00–31:00 — When rules save you Handling interrupts, carryover, and the courage to kill cards.

Key Takeaways

• Three creates judgment. If you have four priorities, you have none.

• Define the camera test. A Friday demo prevents scope drift.

• Speed comes from sequence. Router → Aha → Offer beats “optimize everything.”

• No signal, no polish. Ship the measurable version first.

Moments We Loved (short quotes)

“We stopped planning quarters and started finishing weeks.” — Guest A

“The demo definition turned arguments into screens.” — Guest B

“Deleting the fourth card was the bravest thing we did.” — Guest C

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Links & Templates Mentioned

• Weekly NBA Board Template → Guides & Templates.

• One‑Page Scorecard Template → Guides & Templates.

• Blog: The Power of 7 Days — Micro‑Deadlines, Big Outcomes → Blog & Newsletter

FAQ (Short)

Q: What if an emergency shows up mid‑week?

A: Replace a Top‑3 card only if it protects a guardrail (SLA, refunds). Otherwise, it waits.

Q: Can large projects fit the NBA Rule?

A: Break them into smaller systems that ship in 2–5 hours each.

Q: How do we choose fairly?

A: Score with RICE‑Lite, then break ties by effort (smaller first).