I cannot tell you how much I hate Gantt charts. Why? Well, because they are the greatest work of fiction since Facebook declared it cared about user privacy.

In 27 years of working in digital, I have not once worked on a project that stuck even vaguely to the timeline laid out in the Gantt chart.

Trying to map out the entirety of a digital project from the start is a work of futility, and yet, time and again, executives and clients ask for it.

The truth of project planning is that we can only be confident about how our project starts. The further into the future we go, the less we know.

But, for a moment, let's imagine a world where this was possible. Well, when it comes to a digital project, that is still a terrible idea.

Mapping Out Projects From the Start Is a Wasted Opportunity

You see, digital has two distinct advantages over many other types of projects.

• It has no raw materials as such. No inherent costs outside of labor. Pixels are free.
• It is easy to gather detailed data about user behavior and characteristics.

These advantages enable a more flexible approach to project management, adapting to what you learn through user research reducing risk, and improving quality.

Of course, this ability to adapt to what you are learning is negated if the project has all been planned out in some Gantt chart at the outset. In such scenarios, supposed "scope creep" becomes the enemy. You must stick to the plan, irrespective of what you learn on the way.

So, if not Gantt charts and upfront planning, then what?

Just a quick aside. I have found myself with some availability starting next month. Drop me an email if I can help you or your organization with coaching, improving conversion, or your digital strategy.

How We Should Run Digital Projects

So, instead of a linear project plan, we have a process that branches, allowing for adaptation.

I tend to define specific points where we embrace adaptation to retain some control over the direction and reassure stakeholders that the project isn't a free for all.

To achieve this, I break most reasonably large digital projects into four distinct work packages, each informing the next. These are typically:

1. Discovery. This is where we gather background information and specify what needs to be done at the highest level by identifying user needs, business goals, and constraints.
2. Alpha. This is where we create a detailed specification in the form of a prototype that is then tested with users. We can then iterate and adapt based on what we learn.
3. Build. This is where the digital service is built using the specification from the alpha. Some testing is still carried out, but changes will be more limited.
4. Live. This includes any post-launch optimization and will involve further refinement based on how users respond in the real world.

So initially, you will only plan and price the cost of the discovery phase. However, once that is done, it will provide the scope to plan the alpha. The alpha will allow you to scope and plan the build. Each phase informs the next, allowing for much more accurate project plans.

Furthermore, you can quickly adapt between phases. So, for example, your discovery phase might conclude the project is not viable and if so, you could stop before you waste too much time and energy. Alternatively, the alpha might morph the service from a website to a mobile app.

Finally, there will still be some adaptation in each phase itself based on user feedback. However, because of the limited scope of each phase, it is relatively easy to predict the amount of testing and time for iteration required.

This approach is easier to manage, leads to more accurate project planning, and reduces risk. You are not committing to a massive project but a tiny series of stages. This works particularly well when engaging an outside supplier.

Stop Lying to Yourself

At its heart, my problem with Gantt charts and, by extension, upfront planning is that it gives us false confidence. We act like we know the future, and we don't.

At best, they are an educated guess; at worse, they are a weapon that is used to beat team members around the head when they fail to hit milestones.

So, let's stop lying to ourselves and others and be honest about what we know and don't when it comes to project planning.