"I sort of start with the vegetable and then work backward."

How about we start with some easy stuff, then work backward.

"We will work backward from there in deciding where and when to run him."

"The judges decided what decision they wanted to reach and worked backward from there."

If you have not come across any in the series, start with this one and then work backward.

They had been asking for a result and working backward.

IF the bottom line is the most important one, why not start with it and work backward?

"Tell me the heart of it, and we can work backward from there."

Then he worked backward to the second body, and did the same with the last arrow.