I prefer front-loading hard things when I have a rough plan for when I want them done — especially when I know a bunch of smaller things will follow.
But just front-loading isn’t enough. I like to front-load and push hard to get a first cut well ahead of my own rational expectations.
It’s not just about horizontal slices, spikes, or underpromising and overdelivering — though it is some of that too. It’s about creating the space to iterate organically on the hard thing; a temporal philosophy, not just a workflow structure.
Difficult, nebulous work doesn’t fit neatly into two-week iterations, and forcing it to often leads to mediocrity disguised as progress.
I find myself earning eventual spontaneity through disciplined front-loading. The best iterations don’t come from sprints; they emerge from breathing room.