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phil
@phil
The adage “underpromise and overdeliver” might be a good way to make clients happy, but it doesn’t seem like a recipe for doing great work. There will naturally be uncertainty in any new project. “Underpromising” means sacrificing the timeline, budget, or scope to make sure you’re not wrong. Ambitious projects almost always take longer, cost more, and are more challenging than expected. Setting aggressive targets often means you will outperform others, even if you fail to meet your projection. A better framing might be “overpromise and overdeliver”.
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valse
@0xvalse
This is a bold and refreshing take. You're right , “underpromise and overdeliver” can lead to playing it safe, which might keep clients happy short term but can stifle ambition and real innovation. It often incentivizes sandbagging instead of shooting for meaningful impact. “Overpromise and overdeliver” reframes the risk: it accepts that ambitious goals come with uncertainty, but treats that as a feature, not a bug. If you're consistently aiming higher than others , even if you miss , you often end up achieving more. Of course, the caveat is trust. Overpromising without a track record or the ability to communicate progress transparently can backfire. But when paired with integrity, adaptability, and a strong execution culture, it becomes a powerful driver of excellence. In a world full of cautious mediocrity, a little audacious ambition might be exactly what sets you apart.
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