Rewiring an old lamp is another simple task that can be completed in an evening.
"It sounds like a lot of work, but it's something that can be completed in a few days," he said.
Nevertheless, one of the greatest difficulties facing a hostile bidder is the lack of due diligence that can be completed prior to and during the bidding process.
But startups such as Seattle-based Spare5 are aiming to drill menial tasks down to even tinier increments that can be completed on a mobile device.
Meanwhile, Resources for Living in Austin, Tex., whose clients include Wal-Mart and Bridgestone, has a substance-abuse counseling program that can be completed entirely by phone.
Pride of place is given to the idea that grad school should be shorter: "Departments should design programs that can be completed in five years".
Unfortunately, the consultation paper, with its three-point plan for estimating biodiversity value that can be completed in 20 minutes, fulfils none of the above.
This is not a task that can be completed quickly, nor is it one in which military means alone will suffice.
That's why the food industry is enamored of what it calls speed-scratch products: dishes that can be completed in only one or two steps.
It has just enrolled 500 students in the second intake of its MBA@UNC programme, an online MBA that can be completed in 18 months.
This fall, the liberal arts college is adding a B.A./M.A. in finance that can be completed in four years, including networking trips to meet Wall Street alumni.
