How do I start a project

On my quest to build better software for people and their needs I try to move my current agile project approach to a more user centered and outcome oriented one.

This starts right at the beginning of a project. After getting the go from the client I start with meeting the project leads on the client side, the ones who will make decisions and control the way of the project.
I like to take an assumption driven process or learning focussed one to ask questions and clear my assumptions on my way.
The first questions I have are:

• who will use the software
• who will be affected by the software/project
• what are their goals/expected outcomes, what if they could choose only one
• what do they expect from the software
• what will happen if the project stalls or even fails

The people using the software aka the users are one of the main focus during the project but also the people who get benefits from the software without directly using it are really important and should not be neglected. These can be the people responsible for operating the software or managers getting reports from actual users. I keep them in mind so that other parts which are often missed during a user centered approach are considered.
All these people have some expectations how the software will affect them, some even have goals or need something to come out of the project. These outcomes cover a great range: from measureable business goals like increasing revenue or retention rate, to personal benefits like visibility. It is important to get a rough priority, I use a narrowing question like ‘what if you could choose only one’.
Besides from goals and outcomes people have also imaginations how the software will be used by them, in which context and how often.
These are the positive effects of the project and the software but all is not sunshine, so I also look at what will happen if the project is delayed, stops or even *shudder* fails. These are the risks that I need to consider and may be even plan for.
All these questions help me frame the project from the end. I know what goals to aim for and in which direction the journey goes.
This is my first step to build a shared understanding among the project participants. The steps to learn about what picture they have in mind. My questions and their answers help me to clarify the direction. After that I need to plan the first phase. For this I have to clear my mind and start with a beginner’s mind to find my hidden assumptions. Every assumption I or other have need to be called out explicitly. I have to capture it and formulate a corresponding learning step.

But this is a topic for another post…