Build in Reverse

 Most people start at the beginning.

Step one, then step two, then step three. Figure it out as you go.

It feels logical. Natural. How you're supposed to do things.

But here's what I learned: starting at the beginning gets you lost.

Start at the end instead. Work backwards.

I Used to Build from the Beginning

Last year I started writing a novel.

Chapter one: introduce the character. Chapter two: set up the world. Chapter three: start the conflict.

I wrote for three months. 40,000 words. No idea where I was going.

The story wandered. Characters did things that didn't matter. Scenes that sounded good but didn't connect to anything.

I kept writing forward, hoping it would come together.

It didn't.

Then I tried something different. I wrote the ending first.

Start With What You Want to Build

Here's what changed:

I wrote the final scene. My character standing in a specific place, having made a specific choice, facing a specific consequence.

Now I knew where the story was going.

So I worked backwards. What has to happen right before this ending? What choice leads to that final moment?

And before that? What situation forces that choice?

Backwards, scene by scene, until I reached the beginning.

Suddenly I knew exactly what chapter one needed to do. Not introduce everything—just set up the one thing that leads to that ending.

Building in reverse gave me a map. Building forward gave me wandering.

The Pattern Shows Up Everywhere

I do this with business now.

I don't start by asking "What should I build?" I start with "What result do I want my customer to have?"

They need to be able to do X. What has to exist for that to work? What comes before that? And before that?

Work backwards until I reach: "First, they need to sign up."

Now I know what to build and in what order.

Same with systems. I used to design my morning routine by asking "What should I do first?"

Now I ask "What do I need to be true by 9am?" Then work backwards. To have that, what has to happen at 8:30? And at 8:00? And when I wake up?

The routine writes itself.

Even organizing a project. I don't start with "What do I have?" I start with "What does done look like?"

Then: what's the step right before done? And before that?

Backwards until I reach: "First, open the file."

When you know where you're going, every step becomes obvious.

Why Building Forward Fails

When you start at the beginning, you don't know what matters yet.

You include everything. Explore every option. Build things you think might be useful.

Most of it ends up being waste because you didn't know where you were headed.

When you start at the end, you only build what leads there. Nothing extra. Everything connects.

Permission to Start at the Finish Line

You're allowed to write the last chapter first.

Build the final feature before the first one.

Design the outcome before the process.

It's not cheating. It's clarity.

Try This Today

Think about something you're trying to create.

Don't ask "Where should I start?"

Ask: "What does done look like?"

Write that down. Be specific.

Now work backwards. What's the step right before done? Write it.

What comes before that? Write it.

Keep going until you reach the beginning.

Now you have a map.

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What would change if you started with the ending?