---
id: "contrarian-just-get-started"
type: "contrarian-insight"
source_timestamps: ["§ Common Causes of False Alignment"]
tags: ["execution", "planning"]
related: ["concept-deferred-agreement-debt"]
challenges: "The agile/bias-for-action mindset that suggests it is better to start executing an imperfect plan and figure out the details later."
sources: ["governance"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-governance"
originDay: 7
articleStem: "hbr-cl-85-false-alignment-trap"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/07/the-false-alignment-trap"
sourceTitle: "The False Alignment Trap"
---
# 'Just Get Started' is Terrible Advice for Change

**Challenges:** the agile / bias-for-action mindset that it is better to start executing an imperfect plan and figure out the details later.

While 'bias for action' and 'just get started' are popular mantras in startup culture and personal development (e.g., going to the gym), the authors argue this is disastrous for enterprise-wide organizational change. Launching a transformation on vague premises creates [[concept-deferred-agreement-debt|deferred agreement debt]] — massive confusion, wasted time, and demoralized employees. Upfront debate, even if it delays the start, is mandatory.

**Counter-perspective (from enrichment):** Agile and lean-startup approaches emphasize iterative learning; extensive upfront planning can waste time if assumptions are wrong. In product innovation, small teams, and high-uncertainty contexts, starting with a **bounded minimum viable scope and iterating** may beat prolonged debate. The reconciliation: deferred agreement debt is most acute in *large, enterprise-wide* transformations; in smaller, modular efforts, rapid experimentation with bounded scope may be preferable.