Reverse Engineering from Outcome

The Promise

"What should I do next?" is the wrong first question. Define the finished state in concrete detail, then walk backward; the next step appears, undeniable, at the end of the chain.

How It Works

• Define the end-state in concrete sensory terms. Specific enough that two observers would agree whether it has been achieved.
• Walk backward through the necessary milestones. From the end-state: what had to be true the quarter before? The year before? The chain stops at a milestone you can begin this week.
• Read the next step off the end of the chain. It is derived, not brainstormed.

In Practice

Forward planning answers "what's next?" with whatever the current self can imagine. Reverse engineering answers with whatever the goal requires. The two answers are often different, and the reverse-engineered one is typically more specific, less obvious, and closer to correct.