How To Plan

Sep 09, 2018

By chris danilo on Sep 08, 2018 05:00 am
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Plan for reality

Well, what does that mean?

Here’s a list to get straight to the point:

Define “done”
Prioritize the work based on value to the project
The map is not the terrain
The plan is always wrong, A.K.A. your Gantt Chart
Don’t plan years in advance, just enough to keep your teams at capacity
Size things relative to what you know
Get serious about logical fallacies to avoid groupthink, etc.
Stop using “I think how much time this will take” and start using a point system to estimate tasks
Humans think in narratives. Think of who, then why, then what
Religiously measure project velocity
Shoot first, measure results second, adjust third

When you get more in touch with what’s real, you get more in touch with what works.

Congrats on having a project.

Now make a list of everything that will go wrong.

Now estimate the likelihood of the 3 biggest risks.

What might you do to mitigate?

Now you’re more ready for reality.