If you look at the world as a collection of systems, you’ll start to notice how everything connects. One thing affects another, creating ripple effects we can't always predict. But here's the thing – not all of these connections carry equal weight. Some links in the chain are more important than others.
This is where critical path thinking comes in handy.
In simple terms, the critical path is the sequence of steps that determines how long something will take from start to finish. As a web designer, that’s the chain of tasks that can't be delayed without pushing back my delivery date. But it's more than just a technical tool.
Systems thinking helps us see the whole picture. Critical paths can show us where to focus our attention.
I've found combining these perspectives helps me tackle complex problems without feeling overwhelmed. When facing a complicated situation – whether in business or my personal life – I sometimes ask myself:
How do the pieces fit together?
Which connections, if changed, would transform everything else?
This approach helps avoid two common traps: missing important relationships by focusing too narrowly, or becoming stuck because you're seeing too many possibilities at once.
Take my content on SubStack as an example. A systems view shows many factors affecting its success: topic selection, writing quality, publishing schedule, reader engagement, distribution. But the critical path tells me that consistently publishing ideas that resonate matters more than perfect writing or elaborate marketing.
This isn't about oversimplifying. It's about finding the few vital levers among the many important ones. The places where small efforts create big changes.
Creating consistent, credible, on brand content has a compounding impact over time.
But if you get overwhelmed by all the advice about using content calendars, originality, using AI or the need for engagement as well as just posting, you’ll probably never start.
We all face systems too complex to fully understand. By identifying the critical paths within them, we can turn overwhelming complexity into practical action.
What are the critical paths hiding in the systems you're dealing with?
Thanks for reading. I’ve just launched a studio for my web design services.
The idea is to apply the frameworks I’ve built for Designing Value and deliver simple, effective websites for service businesses. Check it out, and if you’re feeling helpful maybe share it with people in your network if they’re looking for a designer who’s practical, works fast and transparent around costs.
One of the things I find hardest is communicating critical paths for project delivery to junior colleagues in my consulting work. Things like: if you want to run a workshop in six weeks’ time, what are all the steps between now and then, and which of these will make or break your effort? Critical path thinking is super important but I find it takes a while to *get it*.