No Projects

The idea of “projects” in software and product development is a glaring anachronism, traceable back to the days when organisations saw each new project as “the last one we’re ever likely to run”. Absent the expectation of ever running another project, why bother moving to a more continuous, flow-based (non-project) set-up?

And of course, the idea of breaking things down into parts, and managing those parts separately, is another glaring anachronism, and one still grasped so tightly by those of the Analytic mindset.

But even the briefest of reflections about the nature of development work in organisations reveals a simple truth: just about every organisation today has a more or less continual flow of work – of new ideas transforming into products, of concepts becoming cash revenue generators.

I won’t dwell further here on the case for #NoProjects – Grant made the case quite well in his piece “What’s Wrong With the Project Approach?”. Maybe you’d like to consider the relative (dis)merits of “projects” – compared to a more flow-oriented approach?

May I just invite you to consider whether there may be other, maybe better ways of getting folks’ – and organisations’ – needs met?

And, by the by, offer up FlowChain as a simple – and complete – example of what I’m talking about in terms of one such better way.

– Bob