Hospital triage offers valuable lessons for software teams in managing priorities and adapting to changing circumstances. In a typical emergency department, triage systems prioritize patients based on how long they can safely wait, rather than their importance. This approach can be applied to software development by shifting the focus from "how important is this issue?" to "what's the cost of delaying this work?" Some issues, while critical, may not require immediate attention, whereas others can escalate quickly if not addressed. Recognizing this difference helps teams make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources. Reassessing priorities is essential. In A&E, patients are regularly re-evaluated to reflect changing conditions. Software teams often fall into the trap of treating sprint priorities as fixed after planning, which can lead to missed opportunities and increased risks. Regularly re-triaging work based on current circumstances allows teams to adapt and respond effectively to urgent issues. Furthermore, creating dedicated capacity for different types of work—such as minor fixes alongside larger features—can prevent bottlenecks and improve overall efficiency. Fast decision-making is another key takeaway from triage practices. A triage nurse can make rapid, high-stakes decisions using established protocols, reducing cognitive overload. Software teams can benefit from similar protocols to streamline prioritization and execution. When work gets stuck—whether in code review or deployment—it's important to recognize these bottlenecks as system-wide issues rather than individual failures. Visibility and collaborative problem-solving are critical to resolving these delays. Lastly, while triage optimizes for the overall population, it can overlook individual needs. Software teams must be mindful of this trade-off and ensure that important but less urgent tasks, such as developer experience improvements, don’t get sidelined. Balancing immediate demands with long-term goals is crucial for maintaining a healthy workflow and addressing the diverse needs of users and developers alike.