There’s a distinct difference between starting from a clean sheet of paper and starting based on existing work.

When we start fresh, we get all the responsibility. There aren’t any preconceived biases.

Any success is ours.

Same with any problems.

Starting from zero can be scary. But it also can be much safer than starting anywhere else in the process.

If we start with a solid baseline, we can save significant time.

But if we start with shoddy work and try to salvage the groundwork that was laid before us, it can cost us dearly.

Renovating a house with imperfect bones can take 100, 200, or even 500% more time than a new build. We don’t just get to start on the work. We first need to reverse engineer how the house was put together, identify any key problems that will bite us down the road, and address them going forward.

As I’ve been renovating my basement, I’ve taken much more time to get back to a reasonable baseline than the actual new build will take.

And we run the same risk if we start with existing software or any other existing structure.

If we want to do it right, sometimes it’s better just to start with a clean sheet.

-Brandon