{"id":3535,"date":"2025-08-14T09:39:58","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T09:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/digitalbuzzuoe\/?p=3535"},"modified":"2025-08-14T09:41:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T09:41:03","slug":"one-way-vs-two-way-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/digitalbuzzuoe\/one-way-vs-two-way-doors\/","title":{"rendered":"One-Way vs. Two-Way Doors: A Smarter Way to Make Decisions \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Mike Westwood, Assistant Director of IT Architecture and Solutions Delivery (Digital Engineering Lead), University of Exeter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all make decisions every day, some big, some tiny. But have you ever paused to think about which of those decisions are reversible<\/strong> and which aren\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recently at the AWS Summit in London<\/a>, this concept came up again and again. Speaker after speaker talked about how understanding the difference between one-way<\/strong> and two-way<\/strong> door decisions can help teams move faster, reduce fear, and deliver more value.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a simple idea, but a powerful one. And it doesn\u2019t just apply to building cloud platforms or designing IT systems. It applies to everything from how we decorate our homes to how we manage our time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s Break It Down<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Two-Way Doors: Try It and See <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A two-way door is a decision you can walk through and if it turns out to be the wrong move, you can walk right back out again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example? Painting your living room yellow.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, you might realise after two days that \u201cbanana burst\u201d was a bold move. But no harm done. Grab a roller, put on a podcast, and repaint. The effort is real, but it\u2019s reversible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the world of tech, a two-way door might be trialling a new tool, spinning up a proof-of-concept in a sandbox, or experimenting with a new team meeting format. If it doesn\u2019t work? You learn something and move on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One-Way Doors: No Going Back (Easily) <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One-way doors are different. Once you go through, turning back is either impossible or very, very costly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example? Knocking down a wall between your kitchen and living room.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t exactly \u2018undo\u2019 that over the weekend. It\u2019s a major investment and could change how your entire home functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In tech terms, a one-way door might be committing to a specific platform that locks you into a long-term contract or redesigning your entire system architecture. These decisions need more time, data, and stakeholder input. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why This Matters at Work (and at Home) <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Understanding this distinction helps you avoid overthinking everything<\/strong>. If a decision is two-way, make it fast. If it\u2019s one-way, slow down, assess the risk, and bring in others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At work, we sometimes treat every choice like a one-way door, holding endless meetings or waiting for perfect certainty. That slows us down and frustrates teams. But once we realise that many decisions aren\u2019t permanent<\/strong>, we can experiment more freely and unlock creativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, in our personal lives, this mindset can help. Not every choice needs to be agonised over. If it\u2019s reversible, try it. Learn from it. Move on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taking This Into Our Work\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Back to the AWS Summit, what struck me was how many engineering leaders were using this framework to streamline delivery<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When building cloud-native solutions, or evolving digital products, they ask: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this decision hard to reverse?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If not, they move quickly and test in the real world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s how they keep up momentum without sacrificing quality. And that\u2019s something we\u2019re doing here at the University of Exeter, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our Digital Engineering team, we\u2019re using this lens to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n