0205. Before You Scale: Designing Workflows That Set Teams Up for Success with David Hirschfeld

Lean By Design

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In this episode, we sit down with David Hirschfeld, 35-year software veteran and founder of Tekyz, to talk about why designing workflows before you start building is critical for sustainable growth.

We explore how the speed of modern tools and AI can create a dangerous illusion of progress, causing teams to skip planning and discovery. David challenges the common “build while flying” mindset and explains why taking time to think first actually speeds you up.

You’ll also hear his contrarian, but highly practical, "Launch First" approach, where sales and marketing happen before building. It’s a powerful method for validating product-market fit early, avoiding wasted development cycles, and moving fast without flying blind.

Whether you’re launching a startup, building internal platforms, or scaling R&D, this episode will reshape how you approach planning, execution, and risk.

Learn more about the Launch 1st Method at https://launch1st.tekyz.com/

Connect with David at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/

Ready to assess your organization’s efficiency? Connect with us at [email protected] to uncover high-impact improvement opportunities. 🚀

Learn more about us by visiting: https://sigmalabconsulting.com/
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Chapters

1. Introduction to Smart Workflow Design (00:00:00)

2. Signs of Moving Too Fast (00:04:12)

3. Focusing on Problems, Not Solutions (00:09:49)

4. Building the Right Product Through Discovery (00:17:31)

5. Designing Workflows for Impact (00:23:45)

6. Finding the Real Value and Cost (00:32:27)

7. Documentation and Maintenance Considerations (00:37:32)

8. Launch First: Proving Market Fit (00:39:46)