The smallest useful product system

A small product system should own one painful workflow from beginning to end. It does not need every possible setting, but it does need a clear source of truth, a clear next action, and a clear record of what changed.

The fastest way to keep scope healthy is to write the operating promise before the feature list. For example: every intake request should land in one place, show its owner, and expose the next deadline.

Once that promise works, additions become easier to evaluate. If a feature helps the promise, it belongs. If it only makes the tool feel larger, it waits.