One-sentence briefs
Distill any project, product, or idea into a single sentence. Jobs demanded that his team describe their work in one line — if you could not, you did not understand it well enough.
Steps
Take the project or idea you are currently working on
Write a one-sentence description that a stranger would understand
If the sentence has a comma or 'and,' it is two ideas — split and choose one
Test the sentence on someone unfamiliar with the project — do they get it instantly?
Use this sentence as your north star for every decision on the project
Practitioners
Related Systemsin Focus & Productivity
5-Minute Time Blocking
Break your entire day into 5-minute increments on a paper schedule. Elon Musk's extreme time management approach that squeezes maximum productivity from every hour.
Flow State Training
Train your ability to enter a state of complete absorption and peak performance. Bruce Lee's approach to achieving effortless mastery through focused practice.
First-Principles Thinking
Strip a problem down to its fundamental truths and reason up from there. Used by Elon Musk to challenge industry assumptions and build revolutionary companies.
Deep Work Blocks
Schedule uninterrupted blocks of cognitively demanding work. Eliminate shallow tasks during these periods to produce your highest-quality output.