The longer you take, the longer it will take

The longer you take, the longer it will take

It may sound like a tautology, but the longer you take to complete a project, the longer it's going to take to complete it. Put another way, every day you add to the final launch of the project increases the odds that you'll add even more days to the project.

For example, suppose you're launching a new AMS and you set the go-live for six months from today. As you approach go-live, you decide there are a few more things you'd like to have before go-live, and so you push the go-live out another month.

One unintended consequence of pushing the date later is that the team working on the project starts to lose focus. And the longer the project goes, the more they lose focus, and the longer the project takes. It becomes a self-feeding cycle.

The key is to focus on a minimum viable product (MVP) and to get live as quickly as possible. What's the bare minimum that we need to go live? That's our target!

Because the longer you take to complete the project, the longer it will take to complete it.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Data managers vs data consumers

September 17, 2025

Data managers vs data consumers When I work with clients on any data management project, […]

Another universal truth

September 10, 2025

Another universal truth There are many universal truths in data management. Some examples: You will […]

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair!

September 3, 2025

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair! I’m taking a break from my weekly tips […]

Just start. And it’s never done.

August 27, 2025

Just start. And it’s never done. Last week I had the opportunity to lead a […]

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer!

August 20, 2025

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer! In the past week, on three different […]

Seek forgiveness rather than permission

August 6, 2025

Seek forgiveness rather than permission “Seek forgiveness, not permission.” I can’t remember when I first […]

Is a 360 degree view necessary?

July 30, 2025

Is a 360 degree view necessary? “A 360 degree view of our members should NOT […]

Why data matters

July 23, 2025

Why data matters I write about data because managing our data effectively will help us […]

It’s about process

July 16, 2025

It’s about process I’m in the midst of adding an AI agent to my website […]

Data integrity reports

July 9, 2025

Data integrity reports I speak and write a lot about data integrity reports. So I […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top