Picking the easy teammate over the good one is a choice you’ll feel in the fourth quarter.

Easy is comfortable early. The person who agrees with everything, never pushes back, never makes you redo anything, makes the first week of a project pleasant. Then the deadline arrives and pleasant does not hold weight. The good teammate is the one who was slightly annoying in week one because they asked what the plan was.

Next time you pick a group, choose for the hard part rather than the fun part. Ask who you would want beside you at eleven at night with half of it unfinished. Comfort is a poor forecast.