In competitive corporate environment it’s obvious at some point we all get some project or an assignment which is completely based on a subject or theory which is completely unknown and also sound quite big and exciting in same time. Manager or the client who describes about it knows little about it how it works inside but he wants it get it done with short time with working product with number of features? If you haven’t it will not take too long to reach some point like this in your career.
In the context of technological fields this is much common scenario people find so exciting to have the products which are benefited from the emerging technologies. As result of this employee’s days come harder and harder to meet the requirements of the projects with failing and risking their carriers. The most devastating fact is about these kind of projects the abstract explanation about the project is not broder enough to give in depth idea to about the scope and feature should have inside. Also rather this ideas sounds so exciting and interesting while pitching the value delivery of the product does have incompatibilities with business requirements as well. Most of projects fails in this backgrounds as well as end up adding more resources or time wastage to existing process.
Special most of startup ideas are like this few work out well most does not, but as person who got a project assigned to like this and there is no options rather than build it from the scratch following ideas may help you how to get through difficult days to come in the project.
First days of kicking off the project
Since things are unclear and sounds so big procrastination and the fear of failing with emerges within the few hours to you. This is so obvious that since the background of project that sound so unknown to you before, but that you have to master the subject in order come up with a successful product. This is so general set of feelings that one have to deal with therefore it’s good always to believe things will work out well and start with something small. Take baby steps.
Most of people endup with doing many rounds of research for first few weeks without having any valued output. So best way to deal with unknown projects is try to build up some understanding of the product and look thoroughly is there any divisible parts that you can identified. Once you get a pick on these small components works with in the project break it into much smaller components which you feels happy and easy to deal with. But always try to attach some value delivery to each of these components. Develop plan and shipping of each component, rather you don’t know how much time it will take just go with with your gut feeling it can be justified later. Having a timeline is much important than having lot of knowledge about a product. This will make you understand depth this project can go for. Research with this knowledge can make your researches much productive.
Think we are making a shooting robot which can fly. Idea is at least you know you have to have gun and flying machine. This is good start. Start developing a gun which can shoot with a less backfire which can help to stabilize the flying machine. Assuming gun can be made within a month and flying machine will take two months to build. Another three months for integration and testing. Research about guns how it can be made make something similar. Research on flying machines in depth can be push later when it matters in the timeline. Doing something what matters and getting into the project is most important at early stage project rather whole effort become throw away it matters you start doing something rather than thinking of endless possibilities.
Second stage
With the excitement and the motivation that you have in the start, slow start decaying with the time and get a stage where you have to pull things from external motivation. It’s normal this kind of a mind set will sneak in to you with the progression of the project if things are proving to be progress slowly. Build up routines is much important at this stage. Soon as you start doing something and the first time you have something get working make it a habit that you can repeat yourself and improve your approach with each component you build.
For this alway try to make your mammoth projects goal into small pieces which are more achievable and simple. Break things into small pieces which carries a some kind of value with the small job that you try to finish. The problem we encounter divide and conquer approach is people tend break things in the perspective of effort. What work out best in this context is to go with the value and break it down. In way at end of each point you achieve something small you have something to show up to your manager or client. Which is is good fact to showing the progress and always allowing to have changes what necessary. Buy doing this the best practical part is that the amount knowledge your client or manager is develop about the project and you can see exactly what client need very early stages of the each component or small value delivery point. This learning curve matters to both the parties.
Importance of keeping Client or Manager engaged
With the time rather you make positive or average progress, you have to keep things transparent about the approaches you are trying to make and how that will add value to the end product. This will save your job in long run rather whole output is not convincing. There’s a matter of fact the path lead final product is well known by the both parties. So the frustration that adds up knowing product is heading towards dead end before hand is much effective coming up with a failed product after 200 days of hard work.
This may be even can be defined as a useless time wasting sessions or meetings by the other party try to make this meeting fruitful as possible before hand preparing to the meeting and making the session really important too.
Progress sharing
Visibility of effort you put into project is much important in this context make things justifiable to both the parties. Kanbanflow or Trello like tools can be real handy simple sharing managers that can help you keep let your client or manager see how you deal with the Unknown Mammoth and exactly is your effort is pointing towards the abstract idea that saw within inside them.
There are many things about your approach and the project progression cannot be explained via verbal discussions in meetings but where micro blogging or small diagrams with these sharing tool can explain much effectively to other party engaged in the project. Using some knowledge mechanism tool with hand in hand proven to be much effective.
Handling expectations & new requirements
For a moment if things goes well may be client or manager will make up picture that this is the time to bring improvements. This is happen mostly soon as you build positive progress towards end product.
To be honest most of projects start going haywire with this kind of nonstop requirements that comes in the middle stages. Try to keep the requirement logs of the project frozen if isn’t the the idea is really really important. Other than make them in the next version. It’s ok go with a minimal set of features for initial version of project with the time things can be develop.
Give the manager or the client the understanding the that a product you build is a one hit stop it can take improvements and this is the time that you trying get thing up and running and you are not with idea of adding new requirement. Since rather adding new things keep manager or client happy will not work for both the parties in long run. Best way is to stand in you view in formal way and with facts in hand and in same time handling the expectations of the other party.
Quality Assurance
With these kind of projects very few percentage that reach a coast successfully projects are not proven to be products that can be sell at the very beginning. Lack of understanding of this aspect make people think they can go out there to real world and sell the product soon as they shipped. Making client known of this possible landmine can help you to retain your client or manager and also keep things moving forward.
From the very early stages of the project’s quality should be maintained where deliverable components should be quality checked at very early stages. Only because quality maintenance process have make bigger companies have make successful products back to back. This is important point where most lack of knowledge when it comes to internal organizational softwares development as well. Quality is aspect any product development life cycle should plan with care.
Making things into rigid flow
Rather things start small within your control of you with this project when they become success with your sleepless nights of hard work it will grow only have proper flow of scaling. So once you see other corner of light of the dark tunnel try make things much process oriented cycles which can repeat again and again with less effort. This process with help to streamline the shipping of good product you come with.
Proper flow of work process make thing more manageable.
Last words
Working with projects with unknow contexts is quite good skill to develop specially in technological fields. Above are few tips will help for someone starting to work with unfamiliar bigger project. It’s better to understand that this is a risky process to involved in end up in success or failure depending on many facts including your commitment. There’s no replacement for commitment. Still having a overview how things can end up is quite help full every stage of the project.
Please share your ideas how things work well for you dealing with these big black boxes.
journeyman 