Compare Your Process to the Drexus Way
Spot 5 gaps that slow shipping and how to close them. Take our diagnostic to see how your development process stacks up against teams shipping 4x faster.
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What 'Drexus Way' Actually Means
The Drexus Way isn't about following rigid rules - it's about consistent rhythms that compound into velocity. Three core principles drive everything:
Cadence Over Perfection: Regular delivery beats sporadic excellence. Weekly demos beat quarterly surprises. Daily standups beat ad-hoc check-ins.
Cut-Lines Over Compromise: Clear decisions about what's in and what's out. No "we'll see how it goes." No "if we have time." Binary clarity.
Receipts Over Meetings: Written artifacts beat verbal updates. Friday progress emails beat Monday status meetings. Documented decisions beat remembered conversations.
The Compound Effect
Teams that adopt all three principles don't just ship 3x more - they ship 4x more. The principles multiply, not add. Cadence × Cut-lines × Receipts = Exponential improvement.
Self-Assessment: Rate Your Current State
Score yourself honestly on each dimension (1-5 scale):
Planning Predictability
How often do your sprints ship what was planned?
- 5: 90%+ stories completed as planned
- 4: 75-90% completion rate
- 3: 50-75% completion rate
- 2: 25-50% completion rate
- 1: under 25% or don't track
Decision Velocity
How long from idea to decision?
- 5: under 1 week for most decisions
- 4: 1-2 weeks typical
- 3: 2-4 weeks typical
- 2: 1-2 months typical
- 1: over 2 months or decisions revisited
Feedback Loops
How quickly do you learn from users?
- 5: Daily user feedback
- 4: Weekly user feedback
- 3: Sprint-ly feedback
- 2: Monthly feedback
- 1: Quarterly or less
Process Clarity
Does everyone know the process?
- 5: Written, followed, improved regularly
- 4: Written and mostly followed
- 3: Known but not written
- 2: Varies by team/project
- 1: No consistent process
Delivery Rhythm
How predictable is your shipping?
- 5: Ship every week like clockwork
- 4: Ship every sprint reliably
- 3: Ship monthly with some delays
- 2: Ship quarterly, often late
- 1: Ship "when it's ready" Calculate Your Score: Add up your ratings. Total: ___/25
- 20-25: You're already using most Drexus principles
- 15-19: Clear gaps but strong foundation
- 10-14: Significant opportunity for improvement
- under 10: Start with one principle at a time
Quick Wins by Role
Based on your score and role, here's where to start:
For Founders (Focus: Speed)
If Planning under 3: Implement MVP scope 1-pagers If Decisions under 3: Create 24-hour decision SLA If Delivery under 3: Start weekly demo days
Your Quick Win: Cut your next feature scope by 50%. Ship this week instead of next month. Momentum beats perfection.
For Ops (Focus: Metrics)
If Feedback under 3: Implement conversion tracking If Process under 3: Document one workflow per week If Rhythm under 3: Create deployment schedule
Your Quick Win: Pick one metric. Measure it daily. Share it weekly. Make it visible to everyone.
For Product (Focus: Learning)
If Planning under 3: Write better acceptance criteria If Feedback under 3: Start 4 experiments monthly If Decisions under 3: Implement ICE scoring
Your Quick Win: Talk to 5 users this week. Document patterns. Share with team. Repeat weekly.
For Product-Lead (Focus: Strategy)
If Predictability under 3: Implement risk ledgers If Process under 3: Define clear escalation paths If Rhythm under 3: Set quarterly planning cadence
Your Quick Win: Block 2 hours weekly for process improvement. Treat it like a customer meeting.
For CTO (Focus: Systems)
If Delivery under 3: Implement progressive rollouts If Quality under 3: Add latency budgets If Vendors under 3: Run 2-week pilots
Your Quick Win: Automate one manual process this week. Measure time saved. Reinvest in next automation.
The 5 Universal Process Gaps
Across all roles and companies, these five gaps slow everyone:
Gap 1: The Planning Theater
Symptom: Elaborate planning that ignores reality Fix: Smaller batches, shorter cycles First Step: Cut next sprint scope by 30%
Gap 2: The Decision Bottleneck
Symptom: Waiting for perfect information Fix: Time-boxed decisions with clear owners First Step: Set 48-hour decision SLA
Gap 3: The Feedback Desert
Symptom: Building in isolation from users Fix: Weekly user contact for all roles First Step: Schedule 5 user calls now
Gap 4: The Process Mystery
Symptom: "How do we do X again?" Fix: Written processes with clear owners First Step: Document your worst process
Gap 5: The Random Release
Symptom: Shipping when "ready" Fix: Fixed cadence regardless of scope First Step: Pick a ship day, keep it sacred
Your Improvement Roadmap
Based on 100+ team transformations, here's the proven sequence:
Month 1: Establish Rhythm
- Week 1: Pick one cadence (daily standup, weekly demo, etc.)
- Week 2: Document the process
- Week 3: Track adherence
- Week 4: Refine based on feedback
Month 2: Add Clarity
- Week 5-6: Implement scope cut-lines
- Week 7-8: Create decision templates
Month 3: Close Loops
- Week 9-10: Add user feedback rhythm
- Week 11-12: Implement progress receipts
Month 4+: Compound Gains
- Combine all three principles
- Measure velocity improvement
- Share success patterns
- Help other teams adopt
Real Team Transformations
Team Alpha: From Chaos to Clockwork
Before: 2-3 features per quarter, constant firefighting Gap: No consistent process (scored 8/25) Fix: Started with daily standups, then weekly demos After: 8-10 features per quarter, predictable delivery Key: "Rhythm created momentum we never had"
Team Beta: From Slow to Swift
Before: 6-month release cycles, frequent scope creep Gap: No cut-lines (scored 12/25) Fix: Ruthless scope cutting, 2-week sprints After: Monthly releases, clear roadmap Key: "Saying no to good ideas unlocked great execution"
Team Gamma: From Guessing to Knowing
Before: Building features nobody used Gap: No user feedback (scored 14/25) Fix: Weekly user interviews, monthly surveys After: 73% feature adoption rate Key: "Users tell us what to build now"
Common Objections and Answers
"We're too small for process" Process enables speed, not slows it. Start with one ritual.
"Our work doesn't fit sprints" Use cycles that match your work. The rhythm matters, not the duration.
"We're already agile" Agile is principles, not practices. Most "agile" teams aren't.
"This seems rigid" Constraints enable creativity. Jazz has structure too.
Commit to One Improvement This Week
Don't wait for perfect conditions. Pick one gap and one fix:
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Pick Your Gap: Look at your lowest score. That's your starting point. Don't overthink it.
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Choose Your Fix: Select the quick win for your role above. Implement this week, not next quarter.
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Track Your Progress: Measure one thing: features shipped, decisions made, user feedback collected. Whatever matches your gap.
Now Do This
Transform your team's velocity in the next 30 days:
- Take the full process assessment
- Share results with your team
- Pick one improvement together
Ready for a detailed assessment? Our Process Comparison Tool provides a comprehensive analysis with personalized recommendations based on your role and current state.
Want to dive deeper into specific improvements? Start with our MVP scope guide for planning, or our experiment planner for learning velocity.