We need to make informed choices
This is why we have mise-en-place.
Mise en place - Wikipedia

Isn’t that the opposite? Makes it easier to get the timing right, but at the cost of dirtying loads more little bowls? Whereas if i dice my carrots while my onions are sweating etc, I can keep the production line going and only use one pot…
I mean how dirty do you think the bowls get from having some chopped carrots in it, all it takes is a quick rinse with water to clean the bowl, the plus side is you don’t have to work about quickly chopping something so that the stuff in the pan doesn’t overcook or burn, which is a issue I used to have, I’d much rather pre chop everything that I can