Computer Science & Algorithms
Section 1
Core Idea
Scheduling and prioritisation algorithms determine the order in which tasks are processed when resources are limited. Key heuristics: Earliest Due Date (EDD) minimises maximum lateness; Shortest Processing Time (SPT) minimises average completion time; Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) maximises value throughput by dividing value by duration. Each solves a different objective. The insight for founders: how you order work matters as much as what work you do. Default ordering (FIFO, loudest voice) often destroys value. Picking the right scheduling rule for your objective — speed, value, fairness — is a leverage decision.
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Section 2
How to See It
Engineering & Operations
You're seeing Scheduling & Prioritization when a team has a queue (backlog, tickets, requests) and a rule for what to do next. The rule might be FIFO, priority score, due date, or ad hoc — the last one is usually the worst.
Deciding & Judging
You're seeing it when the order of work is consciously chosen by an objective (maximise value delivered per week, minimise late items) rather than by default or politics.
Section 3
How to Use It
Define the objective: minimise lateness? Maximise value throughput? Minimise total wait time? Then pick the matching rule: EDD for deadlines, SPT for throughput, WSJF for value delivery. Apply it to the backlog. Re-prioritise when new work arrives or objectives change.
Decision filter
"What scheduling rule are we using — and does it match our objective? If the answer is 'whoever shouts loudest,' we're destroying value."
As a founder
Pick a scheduling rule for your backlog: WSJF (value ÷ effort) is often the best default for startups — it maximises value delivered per unit time. Apply it weekly. Resist defaulting to FIFO or to the loudest stakeholder. The right ordering is a free productivity gain.
Section 5
Founders & Leaders
Satya NadellaCEO, Microsoft
Nadella's tenure at Microsoft has been defined by ruthless prioritisation — shifting resources from low-value legacy projects to high-value cloud and AI work. He applied a form of WSJF at the portfolio level: what delivers the most value per unit of Microsoft's time and attention? The result was a dramatic re-ordering of the company's backlog. Founders can apply the same discipline: define the scheduling objective, rank the backlog by that rule, and resist the temptation to work on everything at once.
Section 7
Connected Models
Reinforces
Eisenhower Decision Matrix
Eisenhower sorts by urgency and importance — a simple scheduling heuristic. Scheduling algorithms formalise it: EDD handles urgency, WSJF handles importance weighted by effort. Use Eisenhower for personal decisions; algorithms for team backlogs.
Reinforces
Theory of Constraints
TOC says throughput is limited by one constraint. Scheduling the constraint optimally (never letting it idle, prioritising its highest-value work) maximises system throughput. Schedule the bottleneck first.
Leads-to
Triage
Triage is scheduling under extreme constraint: classify, then process the top tier first. Scheduling algorithms provide the formal rules for what "top tier" means — EDD, SPT, or WSJF depending on the objective.
Section 8
One Key Quote
— Eliyahu M. Goldratt, The Goal (1984)"An hour saved at a non-bottleneck is a mirage. An hour saved at the bottleneck is an hour saved for the entire system."
Section 11
Summary & Further Reading
Scheduling algorithms order work to match an objective: EDD minimises lateness, SPT minimises average completion, WSJF maximises value throughput. Choose the rule that matches your goal, apply it to the backlog, and resist ad hoc ordering.
01
Book
Scheduling theory applied to everyday decisions: when to do what and in what order.
02
Book
Throughput, bottleneck scheduling, and the Theory of Constraints.
03
Book
WSJF, cost of delay, and scheduling rules for product backlogs.