Complete all preparation before the production session — gather materials, load contexts, prepare templates so session time is pure execution

Why This Is a Rule

Shigeo Shingo's SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Dies) revolution in manufacturing discovered that most setup time could be converted from internal setup (done while the machine is stopped) to external setup (done while the machine is still running). Applied to knowledge work: most preparation — finding files, loading context, opening tools, locating templates — can be done before the production session starts rather than during it.

When preparation happens during the session, it creates micro-interruptions: you're writing, realize you need a reference, stop writing, search for the reference, find it, reload your writing context, and resume. Each interruption costs the reference-finding time plus 5-10 minutes of context-reload time (Never apply the two-minute rule during maker time — a 2-minute interruption costs 25+ minutes in context recovery during deep work). Three interruptions during a 90-minute session can consume 30-40 minutes of productive time — a third of the session lost to preparation that should have happened before the clock started.

Pre-session preparation converts session time from a mixture of preparation and execution into pure execution. When all materials are gathered, all tabs are open, all templates are loaded, and all references are accessible, the session can proceed at full speed without stopping to retrieve anything. The preparation itself takes the same amount of time either way — but doing it before the session rather than during it eliminates the context-switching overhead entirely.

When This Fires

• Before any dedicated production session (writing, designing, coding, analyzing)
• When production sessions consistently run long due to mid-session information gathering
• When the first 15 minutes of every session are spent "getting set up"
• Complements Sequence batches: easy first (build momentum), demanding at peak energy, formulaic at the end when creative energy wanes (within-batch sequencing) with the pre-batch preparation that makes sequencing effective

Common Failure Mode

"I'll find what I need as I go" — starting a writing session without gathering references, data, or templates, and discovering mid-session that you need to look up three statistics, find a client email, and locate last quarter's report. Each retrieval breaks flow. Pre-gathering takes the same 15 minutes but doesn't break any flow because the flow hasn't started yet.

The Protocol

(1) Before each production session, create a pre-flight checklist specific to the output type: files opened, templates loaded, references accessible, tools ready, notifications silenced. (2) Complete the entire checklist before starting the session timer. If an item is missing, gather it now — not during the session. (3) The preparation is "external setup": it happens in the 10-15 minutes before the session, not as part of the session itself. (4) If you discover during a session that you're missing something critical, note it, use a placeholder, and continue producing. Don't break the session to retrieve it unless the session literally cannot proceed. (5) After the session, update your pre-flight checklist: add items you discovered you needed mid-session so they're pre-gathered next time.