Engagement x Value

Do you have a formula for figuring out how interested you are in a project?

Perhaps you do but haven’t thought about what exactly it is.

Of course, it’s never quite as simple as an exact formula, but I think this gets about as close as possible for me:

Engagement x Value

I like working on things that engage lots of people. The more the better. And judging from the recruiting notes I get from big companies these days that put the most emphasis on the number of people you’ll reach, I’m not the only developer or designer that cares about the ability to work on things that affect many people more than salary or perks.

But there’s also value in this formula. Except for the odd fun weekend project, I don’t see myself ever again working on social apps that are meant purely to spread and gain users, because there’s no value.

Without engagement or value, the result is zero. They’re both necessary. And as the amount of engagement and value increases for a project, the level of interest from the top developers and designers quickly multiplies. Literally, in this case.