Killing Projects Kindly
Ending a project isn't failure — it's taste in action. Here's how (and why) we bury our darlings with grace.
Most studios fear endings. We design for them.
We treat projects like seasons, not monuments. They arrive, they teach, they end. Sometimes that ending is the most honest part of the process.
Killing something you've built can feel brutal, but it's also how taste sharpens. You learn what didn't need to exist.
Ending a project isn't failure — it's editing in public.
Each quarter, we choose what stays and what goes. Some things graduate to a permanent home; others quietly retire. No shame, no post‑mortem rage, no slide decks about "learnings." Just a nod, a farewell, and a cleaner slate.
Our Ritual
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Review with honesty. Would we use it? Did we enjoy making it? If not, it's done.
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Archive beautifully. We document, screenshot, write a note — leave a trace. Dead work still deserves dignity.
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Move on softly. Don't autopsy creativity. Let the next idea breathe.
Making things is half the process. Un‑making them — that's the real craft. Taste sharpens every time we hit delete.
Here's to graceful endings. Here's to building the next right thing, fast.
Written at Right Fast Studio • 2025