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Orders of Magnitude — Time
Time at human scales is best thought of in orders of magnitude, not linear progression. Each jump in scale is qualitatively different — the constraints, the tools, the feedback loops, and the failure modes change entirely.
The hierarchy:
| Scale | What fits | Feedback | Failure mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | Firefighting, ops, real-time decisions | Instant | Burnout, whiplash |
| Hours | Work session, meeting, focused task | Same day | Interruption cascade |
| Days | Shippable thing, momentum building | Next day | Drift, distraction |
| Weeks | Sprint, feature, market pulse | One cycle | Wrong direction |
| Months | Product cycle, hiring, traction | One data point | Bleeding out slow |
| Years | Company, moats, technology shifts | Scarce | Irrelevance |
| Generations | Culture, regulation, infrastructure | Post-founding | Irreversibility |
Practical use:
When planning anything, identify which order of magnitude you're operating in — then use the tools and cadence appropriate to that scale, not the one below or above it. A minutes problem solved with a weeks solution is overengineering; a years problem approached with days thinking is naive.
Common mistake: treating a months/years problem as if it can be solved in days/weeks (startup hype, premature optimization) or a minutes problem as if it deserves weeks of deliberation (analysis paralysis, bikeshedding).
See also: Time estimates applies this framework to Passepartout's development timeline.