@jasongorman Out of genuine interest: How do you deal with the big issue of defining what a new system should do in the very beginning of the project?

I do concur that 800 pages of bone-dry specification are a waste of time. But I've always struggled with the question of how to convey the big picture about a new system to people in the team who are working on details. I really think that it's bad if the entire team focuses completely on tactics instead of strategy.