Most software projects that run over budget or miss deadlines were not doomed by execution, they were under-planned before a line of code was written.
Start with a written problem statement, not a feature list. Being specific about the problem you are solving keeps scope discussions grounded later, when new ideas inevitably come up mid-project.
Next, separate must-haves from nice-to-haves before development starts. A clearly scoped first version that ships on time will always outperform an ambitious version that slips for months.
Set a realistic budget range early and revisit it at each milestone, not just at the end. Surprises are far cheaper to absorb in week two than in week twenty.
Finally, agree on how success will be measured before launch, whether that is adoption, time saved, or revenue impact, so the project has a clear finish line beyond "it's live."
Comments
Polard Girdet,
June 27, 2024Solid breakdown. The point about aligning tech decisions with business goals early on is something we learned the hard way.
Jacoline Juie,
June 28, 2024This lines up with what we saw after our own system migration, faster reporting and a lot fewer manual fixes. Good writeup.
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