The most common mental model of digital product development assumes more code = more ROI. Let's run a simulation.
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Adjust the code creation speed to simulate ideas transforming into customer-facing features and creating revenue. Observe what happens as code creation speed ramps up and what happens when you toggle the "reality" switch.
Watch the video walkthrough below for a guided tour of this interactive model.
Idea Backlog
Queued: 0Simulation mode: the dream
Feature Conveyor
Delivered: 0Development velocity: 1x
Dream mode: How most people assume it works.
Reality mode: faster code creation leads to interesting results.
Increase the code creation speed slider to simulate faster development. In dream mode, throughput scales linearly—more coding speed means proportionally more features shipped.
Flip to reality mode to simulate what really happens: there's a realistic optimal speed around 2-3x. Push beyond that and coordination overhead, context switching, technical debt, and quality issues compound. At 10x, you'll likely deliver fewer features than at 3x despite working "faster. while simultaneously breaking the processes that ensure quality."
Use the "Compare Modes" button to see the exact numbers at your current speed setting. Where's the sweet spot between moving too slowly and moving too fast?
Explore "What's really happening here" to open a dedicated full-screen canvas showing how work flows through discovery, development, deployment, and learning. Pan and zoom to explore the complete pipeline and facilitate discussions about where to invest brainpower and AI to improve the flow of value.
This video provides a guided walkthrough of the Idea to Revenue Machine interactive model, explaining the key concepts and how to use the various controls to explore the relationship between development speed and actual value delivery.
