Alright, let’s talk about this Ruzic versus Miyazaki thing I went through. It wasn’t some academic exercise, this was me actually trying stuff out on a real project because things felt… stuck.
Starting with Ruzic
So, first up, we tried going the Ruzic way. Everyone said it was the structured, proper method. Sounded good, right? We spent a ton of time upfront. I mean, weeks just planning.
- We documented every single tiny requirement.
- We made detailed timelines, Gantt charts, the whole nine yards.
- We had endless meetings to make sure everyone understood the exact plan.
Felt very professional, very organized. Felt like we knew exactly what we were doing. We built this massive plan, step-by-step, super detailed. Looked impressive on paper, I tell you.
Where Ruzic Fell Apart For Us
But then, we actually started doing the work. And guess what? Things changed. Like they always do. A stakeholder had a new idea. We found a technical problem we hadn’t expected. Simple stuff.
With the Ruzic plan, making changes was like trying to turn a battleship in a bathtub. It was painful. We had to:
- Go back through all the documents.
- Hold more meetings to approve the change.
- Readjust the entire massive timeline.
It slowed everything right down. The team got frustrated. It felt like we spent more time managing the plan than actually building anything useful. It was just too rigid for the real world, at least the world I work in. Too much paper, not enough progress.
Giving Miyazaki a Shot
I was getting fed up. I remembered reading about a different approach, more fluid, iterative. Let’s call it the Miyazaki way, inspired by how some creative teams work – less rigid structure, more flow and adaptation.
So, on the next phase, I decided we’d try that. We ditched the massive upfront planning. Instead, we focused on:
- Defining a general direction and key goals.
- Breaking work into small chunks.
- Building something quickly, even if imperfect.
- Getting fast feedback, then adjusting.
It felt weird at first. A bit chaotic, honestly. Less certainty. We didn’t have that big, comforting plan to point to. Some folks were nervous.
How It Turned Out
But you know what? It worked. Way better for us. We started delivering usable pieces much faster. When changes came up, we could just adapt in the next cycle. No big drama.
The team felt more involved, more energised. We were actually making stuff, seeing it work, getting feedback, and improving it. It wasn’t as neat and tidy as Ruzic on paper, but the results were better. We finished faster, and the end product was closer to what was actually needed, not just what was planned months ago.
So, for me, comparing Ruzic and Miyazaki wasn’t about which one is theoretically “best”. It was about what actually helped us get the job done without pulling our hair out. Ruzic felt like wearing a suit that was too tight. Miyazaki felt like wearing comfortable clothes – maybe not as fancy, but you could actually move and get things done. Miyazaki won, hands down, in my practice.
