peanut buttering
n.— «Peanut buttering (v)—The tendency to evenly distribute resources across the full range of a product rather than focusing on a few core Value Propositions. While discussing this issue recently someone described it as “peanut buttering” the product. By spreading out all our resources evenly across the product we lose the opportunity to focus on a few key areas where we can deliver a substantial value proposition. Notice this does NOT mean that we forget the basics.» —“Peanut butter and software planning” by Brad Abrams Brad Abrams Nov. 21, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Book recommendations, including a collection of short stories inspired by dictionaries, and a techno-thriller for teens. Or, how about novels with an upbeat message? Publishers call this genre up lit. Plus, a clergyman ponders an arresting phrase in...
Madison in Wilmington, North Carolina, says that whenever her family was about to leave the house, her grandfather would tell them to take Churchill’s advice, which they all understood to be a reminder to use the bathroom before setting out...
Mark Hurd, the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, likes to use the term “peanut butter spread” to describe the same resource misallocation problem. I don’t know if his usage predates Brad Adams’ or not.