20 Jan 2026

On shipping in regulated environments

Teams often treat regulation like weather: something to wait out. In practice, it’s a design parameter.

The useful shift is to narrow scope aggressively. Start with one clear workflow, one obvious user, and one measurable outcome. Document assumptions early and involve legal or compliance partners before interface decisions are cemented.

You won’t move slower by default. You move slower when ambiguity is high and ownership is unclear.

In regulated systems, great product work is mostly clear sequencing.