Boil the Ocean
To attempt an unnecessarily broad or nearly impossible scope all at once.
Plain English
Trying to solve everything instead of the needed problem.
In context
The phrase warns that a proposal is too expansive for the current goal resources or decision.
Example
“We don't need to boil the ocean for the MVP.”
When you'll hear this
- planning
- strategy
- architecture review
Common misunderstanding
Ambitious work is not automatically excessive when the broad scope is genuinely required.
Also known as
solve everything
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
