Startup Idea: Sanity Prioritization Task Management Application

Startup idea to create a task prioritization software based on a unique method where tasks are compared directly with each other. The objective is to turn overwhelming tasks into manageable ones by comparing the importance of two tasks at a time before determining the most urgent. User inputs tasks, software handles task comparisons, calculations and outputs a prioritized list.

"Sanity Prioritization"

I work in a fast-paced marketing department where there are multiple tasks that all seem to be urgent and high-priority.

Years ago, I was in a seminar and learned a prioritization method that works better than anything else I've ever seen.

Tasks are listed. Next to each task is two rows of numbers like this:

Task 1 (no numbers)

Task 2 1 2 Task 3 1 2 3 3 Task 4 1 2 3 4 4 4

Etc. You can go up to about 20 tasks before it gets unwieldy on paper but, in theory, there could be no limit.

Start by comparing task number one to each of the other tasks on list, one at a time, saying "If I could only get one thing done, it would be..." and then to circle the number of the the more important task. Then, go on to task number 2 and repeat the process (with each number, you are doing fewer comparisons).

The idea is that you are never comparing more than two tasks at a time, which is easier than being overwhelmed by a long list.

At the end, you count the circles. The task for which the corresponding number has circled the most times is your first priority, and so on.

I have taught many people this method, and they all agree it is brilliant. The problem is, it's incredibly slow when done on paper, but that's the only way I have of doing it.

It seems like it would be simple to build an application in which the user is asked to enter their tasks one at a time, then shown the tasks in pairs and selecting one. The application would then complete the calculation and present the user with a prioritized list.

If I knew how to build this myself, I would!.