There are shortcuts when outcomes and objectives are not properly articulated. Shortcuts can represent exploiting loopholes in terms of scoping the objectives. But they can also represent taking advantage of gaps in an establish system. Or perhaps, they are just a more direct path that is not yet obvious to the majority.
What comes to mind for you when you consider a shortcut? Is it about skipping steps? Or being able to achieve perfection on the first attempt? Or are you thinking about loopholes and how they are exploited? If a shortcut was offered to you, would you ask what’s the caveat? Or would you just jump at it?
So what are we trying to achieve when we even consider taking a shortcut? The shortcut is called that because it allows you to use less time, resources, energies to arrive at what you think is your goal, your objective. That can mean your original plan was sub-optimal, or that you’ve missed out something. Often the shortcut means some kind of savings. Or perhaps some kind of invisible (/deferred) costs? What is the catch? Is it really worth it?