The Bad Work Throughput Method
Produce enough imperfect work for strong work to emerge
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Bad Work Throughput Method treats creative block as a sequencing problem. Fear demands that every first attempt be good, so generation stops before taste has anything to evaluate. Instead, define a repeatable unit, produce many imperfect attempts, and postpone judgment until a batch exists. Weak output is expected rather than interpreted as evidence of incapacity. Once material exists, apply taste to distinguish promising work, refine what deserves attention, and discard the rest. Throughput increases the number of opportunities for good work to appear while continued selection sharpens judgment. The method does not publish everything or lower the final standard; it lowers the entry standard for drafts so that the final standard can actually be applied.
Origin
Godin argued that people who claim writer's block are usually afraid of bad writing and that successful artists produce large amounts of weak work alongside the good.
Core principles
- 01Writer's block is often fear of bad output
- 02Fluency requires permission to make weak attempts
- 03Volume creates opportunities for strong work to appear
- 04Taste selects quality after production
- 05Professionals separate generation from judgment
How to run it
- 1
Define the unit
Choose a small completed attempt such as a paragraph, sketch, melody, headline, or interface variation.
Pro tip Make the unit small enough to finish repeatedly in one session.
Watch out A vague goal like work on the book preserves avoidance.
- 2
Set throughput
Commit to a number of attempts or a fixed generation period before evaluation begins.
Pro tip Use a quota that creates variation without exhausting the review phase.
Watch out Do not secretly grade each attempt while producing it.
- 3
Permit bad work
Allow awkward, obvious, or failed attempts to exist as the cost of continued generation.
Pro tip Label the session generation, not final production.
Watch out Permission to draft poorly is not permission to publish carelessly.
- 4
Select with taste
After the batch is complete, identify what works and why. Separate the quality judgment from your identity.
Pro tip Use explicit criteria so preference becomes teachable rather than mystical.
Watch out Keeping everything removes the selection mechanism that makes throughput useful.
- 5
Refine and repeat
Develop the strongest material, discard the rest, and start another generation cycle.
Pro tip Track completed cycles rather than waiting for a block-free feeling.
Watch out One good result does not eliminate the need for future bad drafts.
In the wild
Godin says successful artists create plenty of bad writing, painting, symphonies, and other work. Producing enough imperfect material gives good work a chance to appear, while taste identifies the difference.
→ Generation continues despite fear, and selection preserves quality.
A marketer writes twenty headlines without editing, then scores them for specificity, relevance, and truthful curiosity. Eighteen are discarded, one is refined, and one reveals a stronger angle for the whole piece.
→ Deliberate volume creates options without lowering the publication bar.
Common mistakes
Editing during generation
Immediate judgment restores the fear that stopped production and prevents enough variation from emerging.
Publishing the entire batch
The method requires taste and selection; throughput is an input strategy, not a reason to lower final quality.
Treating weak drafts as identity
A failed attempt is material to assess, not proof that the creator is a failure.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for writers, artists, designers, and other creators who can judge quality but hesitate to produce drafts.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for irreversible high-risk work where a bad attempt can reach users before review.
From the transcript
“what people actually have is fear of bad writing”
“if you do enough not so good stuff some good stuff will slip through”
“good taste involves knowing the difference between the two but you're not blocked you're just afraid”
From the episode
Seth Godin talks Marketing and Creativity