Project Fail: Lessons learned from failed and abandoned projects as a Software Developer, Part 2

Many times in life we make plans and usually, we make these plans with optimism that they shall come to pass in the exact order in which we have laid them down.

However, I have come to realize and understand that we can make plans, but we have to remember that the Lord our God determines our steps.

The Planning factor

A plan is simply a map of where a given project is headed and it paints a picture of the end from the beginning.  We already know that without a plan in a software project, one plans to fail as mentioned in Part 1. My personal experience with making software project plans is that when assumptions are made, especially in the minds of the stakeholders and these assumptions are not written down, that's the beginning of failure.

Several tools at our disposal can help in planning and I have realized, that once the planning phase is intentional in writing all these things down, the outcome is a much clearer and valuable product.  These tools include; Asana, Monday.com, Jira, Trello, etc.

Many times my observation is that stakeholders expect the software developers to know how to draw a plan, involve them, and keep at it. My personal experience is that keeping a plan is something that is not as easy as it sounds as it requires firmness, clarity, and being very strict on timelines from a professional perspective, something I learnt the hard way.  

For any software development project to succeed, the planning phase has to be brutally clear with specific desirable deliverables and a holistic timeline that favors the product development and not the wishes of the client.

To be continued.....