Ruthless Prioritization

To focus on what we must win, we give up what we want to do. Laser focus requires courage and confidence. Fast iteration and high-quality execution begin with laser focus.

Back to the universal principles

Calibration

Under, just right, over.

Situation	Under	Just Right	Over
A project the team loves	Keeps it because stopping it would disappoint people.	Stops it in public, says what the team is choosing to win instead, and moves the people.	Kills it so abruptly that in-flight commitments to customers are part of the wreckage.
Too many bets at once	Funds all of them a little so nobody has to lose.	Picks the one or two that must win and gives them enough to move this month.	Picks one and refuses a small bet that protects it, such as the fix that keeps the current product alive.
Saying no to wanted work	Adds the wanted work beside the necessary work and hopes both fit.	Says no, writes down what you are giving up, and does not reopen it this week.	Says no to the work that is the actual win because it is less exciting.
A roadmap that is a wish list	Publishes every idea as if it were a commitment.	Marks what will happen, what will not, and what would have to be true to reopen it.	Cuts the list so hard that the team has no next step after the current week.
Courage in the room	Waits for someone senior to kill the extra work.	Recommends the cut yourself, with what it costs and what it saves.	Announces cuts you have not thought through, to look decisive.
Focus before speed	Starts executing five things quickly and calls the motion focus.	Cuts the list first, then moves fast on what remains.	Spends the month debating the cut and never executes the winner.

Further reading

Sources and essays on this principle.

Coupang Leadership Principles
The published wording of this principle.
coupang.jobs