A lot of people know me as the person full of notes and lists. I'm always write things down, trying to keep everything organized. So, the other day, I found myself chatting with a friend about my project management techniques. I explained how I strive to stay cool, keep everything on track, and avoid losing my mind in the process.
When diving into a new project, which is pretty common in my current role, I always start with a blueprint. Here's the skeleton I use:
# Project name
## Details
### Expectations
### Leaders
### Assholes
### Risks
### Competitors
## Tech details
## Tasks & Worklog
Let's break it down. Firstly, the Details section. I usually begin with two paragraphs outlining the project's description, answering the 'what' and 'why'. Then come the subsections:
Expectations: Every stakeholder has different expectations. For example, the Product Manager wants an F1 car, the CTO wants an indestructible tank, the CEO wants money pouring in, and Engineer wants the latest new cool thing. Understanding and managing these expectations is crucial. It's about building trust by understanding their needs and adjusting their expectations as needed.
Leaders: Identifying who is leading is vital. Whether it's the customer lead, a team member, or someone else, these are the folks driving the project forward. Their success is our success, so unlocking them to achieve things is key. At the same time, it's the best scenario to learn from, and focus in the important things.
Here's how I typically outline each leader:
${Name} - ${Position} - ${Timezone}: Description of their role and why they're leading.
Assholes: Yes, you read that right. Every project has them. Read "Build", it's the best advice I can offer you. Identifying them early is crucial for configuring your firewall effectively. My template for this usually looks like:
${Name} - [${Position}|${Company}]: Here, I describe their personal agenda in the project.
Risks: What could go wrong? How do we prevent it? Why the project can be turned off? How can you prevent it? Where the project is pushing the boundaries? How much risks are we taking? Identifying risks upfront allows us to act accordingly. But let's not get too paranoid; some risks are unpredictable, Nassim Nicholas Taleb's books are a great read on this topic.
Competitors: What are they building? Is our PM copying them? Knowing our competitors' strengths and weaknesses is essential. My template usually includes:
- ${Company}:
- Leaders: Link to their profiles.
- Good: Where are they strong at?
- Bad: Where we excel.
- Customers: Their reference customers, and why they choose it.
- Technology: Their tech stack, description, etc.
Tech details:
This section varies depending on the project but typically includes:
- Design documents: I keep a log of design documents, presentations and important meetings, with the link and a brief description.
- Relevant technology: Links to tools and best practices.
- Security: Any concerns or considerations.
- Coding style, CI, test: Links to relevant resources.
- Tasks & Meetings: Where and when.
Tasks & Worklogs:
I maintain a weekly log of my activities, including any issues or discussions I need to raise with my manager. In 2024, I aim to include important Slack discussions here too. Sometimes those threads can get lengthy, but keeping track helps I think that will help me understand things down the line.
Finally, this blueprint has been a game-changer for me, adding clarity to projects. It helps me understand our project's current status and keeps my pessimistic thoughts about any project within manageable bounds and it helps me to guide over the twist and turns.