Words create our world. The language we use makes us see the world in a certain way. To the people I manage, I constantly remind them that – a bit like the Coué method – if you speak by describing the world as you would like to see it, that’s already a big step forward in making it so (I’m not talking here about lying to yourself!).

I had already protested against labels that hide things.

A Few Proposals

And today, after having addressed for over a year now the concerns I had with the proximity between capitalistic frenzy and what agility offered to feed it, certain phrases that used to delight me now repel me.

For example:

     Maximize value, minimize effort.

     (Maximize value, minimize effort)

This expression, from Jeff Patton, (whom I appreciate greatly) seems outdated to me, having become anachronistic. There’s a bulimic effect in maximizing value that must be moderated by reality.

I want to say:

     Maximize value, minimize (ecological) footprint

     (Maximize value, minimize footprint)

It’s no longer so much the effort that counts today, but the impact on planetary boundaries.

And also the funny:

     Backlog

Just imagine that your backlog, which takes its name from the pile of wood logs that we store to burn, well yes they literally burn, each feature burns energy, each item in your backlog has an energy cost.

And even if the backlog is no longer really something highly recommended once it exceeds 30/50 items (putting a limit on it is already a very good idea), so let’s say for the endless lists that we observe too frequently we could use the term:

     Fuel or Energy

     (Fuel or Energy)

To truly realize what we’re handling. I remind you that you currently call it “wood logs stored at the back of the yard,” it’s just that English gives you the impression that it’s more rock’n roll).

And finally, to finish, the ineffable:

     Minimum Viable Product

     (Minimal Viable Product)

We could imagine the inverse notion of

     Maximal Tolerable Product

     (Maximal Tolerable Product)

The MVP is dead! Welcome to the MTP!

For reflection and use: the more we pronounce these words rather than the current words, the more our world will resemble our narratives.