Hard agree. A heuristic can only be said to work if it means the same thing to everyone. Like, if the list means anything to everyone, then how can we say that the list is responsible for success or failure?
Otherwise what are we saying the causality is? Like, that the list is just somehow inspiring everyone to be successful? So, like, if we just believe enough in the list we'll get it done? No thanks. I'm not going to pray to some poetry.