Project Management For Startups

You're not born a natural problem-solver. It's a skill that needs developing with time: Especially if you want to build a successful digital business.  Most people don't realise it,  But a founder's job is mostly just problem solving on repeat...    Day in and day out.  Over the last few years, I’ve used different problem-solving models Depending on what needed my attention:  💸 Keeping revenue consistent and predictable. 🔧 Setting a strategy that’s clear and actionable. ⭐️ Building a culture people actually want to be part of.  ⚙️ Running smooth operations, even when I’m not in the room. As you can imagine, each one requires a completely different approach. These are the four models that I return to most often 👇 🔍 First Principles Thinking ↳ Strip everything back and start from zero. 1. What do I know for sure about this problem? 2. What’s just a habit or assumption — not a fact? 3. If I had to build a solution from zero, what would it look like? 4. What if I forgot how this is “usually done”? 5. What’s the simplest possible version of solving this? 🔄 Second-Order Thinking ↳ Zoom out and see the bigger picture. 1. If this works... what else does it trigger? 2. What does this look like in 6 months? 2 years? 3. Am I solving a short-term pain or creating a long-term problem? 4. What unintended consequences could show up later? 5. What would someone smarter than me worry about here? 🧠 Root Cause Analysis ↳ Fix an entire system, not just a symptom. 1. What exactly went wrong — and when? 2. What’s the first thing that caused this to break down? 3. If I asked “why?” five times… where would I end up? 4. Where have we solved this badly before? 5. What keeps making this problem reappear? ⚡️ The OODA Loop ↳ When you just need to take the leap. 1. What’s actually happening right now — no bias, just facts? 2. What do I need to unlearn before I can move forward? 3. Based on what I know, what’s the smartest next decision? 4. What small test can I run immediately? 5. What would I change if I had to act in the next 10 minutes? It's easy to panic when an issue arises,  But it will do nothing to actually solve the problem. To problem solve like the top 1%,  You need to stop reacting emotionally... And start responding strategically. If you want to stay sharp under pressure,  My weekly newsletter will help you solve real business problems. Join Step by Step and get actionable insights every Sunday.👇 https://lnkd.in/eXSNaDiu I have other important lessons and 30+ free learning resources for you. What major problem did you solve recently, and how? Share your story in the comments. ⬇️ ♻️ Repost to help your network become better problem-solvers.  And follow Chris Donnelly for more. 

If I were starting a new PROJECT today and wanted to plan it with ZERO prior knowledge, I'd do this: Step 1: Define Your Objective • Clearly articulate what success looks like for the project. • Break down the high-level goal into smaller, manageable milestones. • Ensure the objective aligns with stakeholders' expectations to avoid misalignment later. Step 2: Build Your Plan Backwards and Leverage Historical Data Most people skip this step entirely. But this is a huge mistake—because you risk creating a plan that doesn’t align with deadlines, resources, or realistic expectations. Here’s how: • Start from the final deliverable and work backward to define the timeline. • Gather and review historical data or similar project examples to understand typical timelines and challenges. • Identify key dependencies and create a logical sequence for tasks. • Use project planning tools (like Gantt charts or Kanban boards) to visualize your plan. • Clearly define roles and responsibilities for each stage. Pro tip: Don’t forget to account for buffer time—projects rarely go 100% as planned. Step 3: Identify Risks and Create a Mitigation Plan This isn't easy. But if you can do this, you will get: • Clarity on potential roadblocks before they derail progress. • Stakeholder confidence in your ability to deliver. • A proactive, problem-solving mindset that boosts your credibility. Here's a quick way to do this: List out possible risks, evaluate their impact and likelihood, and create a plan to minimize or respond to them. Collaborate with your team to spot any blind spots. Don't skip this step. It took me months of trial and error (and some chaos) to crystallize these steps—hope this helps! 🚀

I was once working on a project where one key stakeholder was… let’s say, not easy to work with. Constant last-minute changes, strong opinions, minimal responses on Jira or emails — and feedback always came in after we moved ahead. At first, I felt frustrated. I mean, as a Business Analyst, all I want is clarity, alignment, and moving forward together. But here’s what I did differently: 1) I scheduled short weekly syncs just with them — no agenda, no pressure, just a space to talk. 2) I stopped expecting structured feedback. I let them speak freely, took notes, and turned their thoughts into proper user stories. 3) I started sending back short summaries after every call — just to confirm, reduce misunderstandings, and track evolving requirements. 4) I noticed they weren’t active on Jira or long email chains, so I casually asked how they prefer to communicate. Turned out, they liked WhatsApp and quick voice notes — so I adapted. 5) I collaborated with the dev team to create quick mockups and visuals. They responded much better to that than documents. 6) Instead of defending timelines, I started showing how their feedback was shaping the product — and how it helped the end user. 7) I even built a “wish list” backlog for their ideas — not everything made it to the roadmap, but they felt heard. It wasn’t overnight. But slowly, they became more engaged, more trusting, and less reactive. One day, they said: “Thanks for your patience — I know I haven’t made this easy.” And honestly? That meant more than any formal feedback ever could. Lesson learned: Tough stakeholders aren’t always difficult — sometimes, they just need someone to translate their thoughts and make them feel heard. Ever been in a similar situation? Would love to hear how you handled it. #BusinessAnalysis #StakeholderManagement #ProjectLife #ProductDevelopment #RealTalk #LessonsFromTheField #Opentowork #UnitedArabEmirates

75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. That’s not just a statistic, it’s a warning sign. Misalignment, unclear roles, delayed decisions, and missed deadlines are not signs of poor talent. They’re signs of poor clarity. And no amount of hard work can compensate for a lack of it. In high-performing teams, clarity isn’t a luxury, it’s a system. Two proven frameworks I’ve seen transform team effectiveness are: 1. DACI: A Decision-Making Framework DACI creates structure around who decides what, a common source of friction in cross-functional settings. Here’s how the roles break down: 1) Driver – Leads the decision-making process. 2) Approver – The final decision-maker. 3) Contributors – Provide insights and recommendations. 4) Informed – Kept in the loop on the outcome. When to use DACI: - Strategic decisions with multiple stakeholders - Product development or vendor evaluations - Situations where decisions are delayed or disputed 2. RACI: A Responsibility Assignment Framework RACI brings clarity to who is responsible for what, especially during execution. 1) Responsible – Does the work. 2) Accountable – Owns the result. Only one per task. 3) Consulted – Offers advice or feedback. 4) Informed – Needs updates, not involvement. When to use RACI: - Project rollouts - Process handoffs - Cross-functional initiatives with shared ownership Key Difference: - DACI is for decisions. - RACI is for execution. Together, they reduce friction, eliminate ambiguity, and ensure the right people are involved at the right time. What’s Changing in 2025? 1) Teams are blending DACI + RACI in agile environments, one for planning, the other for execution. 2) Tools like Asana and ClickUp are embedding these frameworks into workflows. 3) AI is helping auto-suggest roles based on project patterns. 4) Clarity is being embedded into culture, not just project charters. If your team is stuck, slow, or stressed… chances are, clarity is missing, not commitment. So here’s a question worth reflecting on: - Is your team clear on who decides, who delivers, and who is just being kept in the loop? Because without that clarity, dysfunction is inevitable, no matter how talented your people are. #Leadership #DecisionMaking #Collaboration #TeamPerformance #DACI #RACI #CrossFunctionalTeams #Execution #Leadership #3prm #tprm #thirdpartyrisk #businessrisk

90% of startups don’t fail because of: Bad marketing, a weak team, or even a poor product. They fail because they lack a repeatable decision-making process. Here’s the framework I use to make better, faster decisions in business. I call it “The Iteration Loop.” It’s a structured way to identify what’s working, what’s broken, and what to do next, without getting stuck in endless guesswork. It gives you a systematic way to eliminate bottlenecks, optimize execution, and scale with clarity. Here are the 6 phases: 1. Bottleneck Identification 2. Clarifying the Goal 3. Solution Brainstorming 4. Focused Execution 5. Performance Review 6. Iterate & Improve 1️⃣ Bottleneck Identification Before you can fix anything, you need to identify the real problem. Most entrepreneurs spin their wheels solving the wrong issues because they never dig deep enough. To get clarity, ask: + What's the biggest constraint stopping growth right now? + What metric, if doubled, would create the biggest impact? + What’s preventing us from getting there? If you don’t identify the root problem, every solution you apply will be wasted effort. 2️⃣ Clarifying the Goal Once you know the problem, define the exact outcome you’re solving for. I use a simple Three-Part Goal Formula: 1. What are we trying to achieve? 2. By when? 3. What constraints do we have? Vague goals lead to vague actions. Precision forces progress. 3️⃣ Solution Brainstorming Now, generate every possible solution—without filtering. Most people limit themselves to their existing knowledge, which is why they get stuck. Instead, ask: “If there were no rules, what would I do?” This opens up better, faster, and often simpler solutions you wouldn’t have otherwise considered. 4️⃣ Focused Execution Don’t test everything at once—test one variable at a time. Most teams waste months by making too many changes at once, leading to messy, inconclusive results. Instead, break it down: 1. Test one key assumption. 2. Measure one KPI that proves or disproves it. 3. Execute for a set period, then review. 4. Speed matters. Complexity kills momentum. 5️⃣ Performance Review Your data isn’t just numbers—it’s feedback on your decision-making process. Your job is to analyze: + Did the solution work? + Why or why not? + What does this tell us about our business? Every test refines your ability to make better future decisions. 6️⃣ Iterate & Improve Most companies don’t fail from making the wrong move—they fail from making no moves at all. The only way to win long-term is to keep iterating. Instead of fearing failure, build a culture that rewards learning. Failure + Reflection = Progress. If you aren’t improving your decision-making process, your business will eventually hit a ceiling. That’s why I built The Iteration Loop—so every problem becomes an opportunity for better, faster execution. P.S. If you want the scaling roadmap I used to scale 3 businesses to $100M and beyond, you can get it for free from the link in my profile.

If someone had told me last year that we’d rethink our hiring process, I wouldn’t have believed. We used to believe in “move fast, fill the gap” sort of an arrangement. Hire passionate people and you are good to go. But by Feb end, that approach had started to complicate. We needed two new team members and we went the usual way: 🔺 Shortlist  🔺 Assignment 🔺 Interview (2 Rounds) Get someone in before the month ends. This time, though, the cracks showed up early. One new hire came in with an impressive resume but struggled to adapt to our pace and client expectations. Another seemed promising, but after a week, it was clear there was a disconnect around ownership, waiting for instructions instead of taking charge. It forced us to stop and actually map out what we needed, beyond skills. We got the whole team involved in the hiring conversations. We built a short “culture fit” assignment, not just a skill test. We stopped relying on resumes and built a form with questions like 🟢 What do you do beyond work? 🟢 How do you describe your experience in the most creative manner? And you wouldn't believe that 90% of ‘passionate people’ dropped out at the entry. Did not fill the form. Hence, it became a mandate. We next created assignments and set clear expectations in each round. Half of the people dropped when they heard about what they’ll have to do. We looked for red flags at every step. And by the time we reached ‘the one’, we were left with that 1% group that wanted to make it work. High intent folks. Was it slower? Definitely. But now, three months in, the difference is clear: — The team works with less supervision — New people bring their own ideas — We’re not scrambling to fill the same role twice The biggest thing the first half of 2025 taught us? Hiring slow to find the right cultural fit meant we only have to do it once for one role. And building in honest feedback, right from day one, keeps the team sharper. If you’ve made a change this year that actually stuck, I’d love to hear about it. Torchlight #startup #talent #marketingagency

I tell my founder clients to leave critical problems unsolved. Deliberately. Here's why: Your brain has two distinct problem-solving modes. Focused mode: where you actively tackle issues head-on. Diffuse mode: where connections form in the background while you're doing something else. Most founders live exclusively in focused mode. Always completing. Always closing loops. Always exhausting their cognitive resources. The neuroscience is clear: Research shows our most valuable insights happen during diffuse mode thinking. But here's what no one tells you about founder psychology: The more critical the problem, the harder it is to step away. The more urgent the timeline, the more you need to. What I teach instead is strategic incompleteness: 1. Start important work ↳ Gather information ↳ Define the problem clearly ↳ Identify key constraints 2. Then deliberately walk away ↳ Before reaching resolution ↳ When you feel momentum ↳ Right at the edge of breakthrough 3. Engage in something completely different ↳ Physical activity (I use running) ↳ Creative tasks (sketching works well) ↳ Mundane activities (driving, showering) 4. Return with fresh perspective ↳ Solutions appear seemingly from nowhere ↳ Connections form between disparate ideas ↳ Breakthrough thinking emerges naturally A Series B founder I worked with was stuck on a critical pricing strategy for weeks. His team was frustrated. Their runway was shortening. The pressure was suffocating. After implementing strategic incompleteness, the solution came to him while walking his dog. Not random luck. Cognitive science. Strategic pause. The freedom you're searching for isn't in working harder. It's in trusting your brain's natural problem-solving architecture. Your team doesn't need you to have all the answers immediately. They need you to have the right answers eventually. What critical problem could you deliberately leave unfinished today, allowing your brain to work its background magic?

No digital shift succeeds by technology alone—what truly drives impact is the coordination of diverse skills and perspectives, each bringing a unique lens to anticipate risks, ensure alignment, and sustain progress across the organization. A successful digital transformation team blends technical, managerial, and strategic expertise to handle complexity across business functions. Technologists select solutions aligned with strategic goals, while security specialists mitigate cyber risks early. Business/technology liaisons translate between departments to avoid silos. Project managers ensure timelines and budgets stay on track, and financial stakeholders assess viability and ROI. Marketers tailor communication to build engagement, and implementation leads support rollouts and change adoption. Evangelists generate internal and external momentum, helping to secure buy-in and resources. #DigitalTransformation #TechLeadership #ITStrategy #CyberSecurity #ChangeManagement

Most companies suck at launching products. They’re like Alice in Wonderland — chasing shiny objects and getting lost along the way. Here’s the 11-step process we perfected after 25 years of product launches (in a collaboration with Jason Oakley): 1. Competitive Research The key to great strategy is to look externally. Take notes on competitor's features and how they grow. Build a database so you can counter-position appropriately. 2. Segmentation A launch aimed at “everyone” will miss everyone. Instead, build a laser-focused Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Follow this chain of thought: What are they craving? → What frustrates them daily? → What job are they trying to accomplish? 3. Pricing & Packaging Even the smallest feature can have a ripple effect on your pricing and packaging. Don’t wait until launch week to figure this out. Before launching, assess things like: Will this be a paid feature or free? Who will get access? What’s the plan for feature gating? 4. Positioning Now it’s time to craft a message that resonates. Speak to their deeper desires, not just their immediate problems. Communicate the outcome your product delivers and why you’re different from the rest. 5. Assemble Your Launch Team You can’t do it alone, and you shouldn’t. A successful launch involves stakeholders across the company. Use the RACI framework to assign clear roles. 6. Clear Objectives Too many teams dive into a launch without defined goals. And that’s why they miss the mark. Set clear objectives and key results. 7. Distribution Channels Many teams fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere; LinkedIn, email, ads, you name it. Reality check: Most startups only have 1-2 effective distribution channels. Find yours and double down on it. 8. Launch Milestones Planning your entire launch around individual tasks will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on major milestones and build a work-back plan. Some key milestones to include: Early access launch → Customer launch → Kickoff meeting. 9. Bill of Materials Your Bill of Materials is the content engine of your launch. Focus on: → Writing the message they want to hear → Designing visuals that captivate and appeal to them → Creating email sequences tailored to every user flow 10. Sales & Customer Success Teams Too many launches fail because these teams are looped in at the last minute. Enable them early with a messaging deck, internal FAQs, and demo materials... And they’ll become powerful advocates for your product. 11. Launch Day Make sure everything is launched smoothly and on time. If you achieve early wins, be the first to celebrate them and rally the team. And don’t forget to keep pushing the momentum forward. There's much more in the deep dive: https://lnkd.in/eB7s6umA If you don't plan your launches, even the best products will fail.

Is the process of innovation in need of innovation? Most innovation processes are linear. First, you do A. Then, you do B. Each stage-gated step earns you permission to move to the next step. If you’re lucky, you make it to the MVP step, where your prototype arrives in the hands of users. The steps from start through MVP are usually product-focused: What’s the idea? Who needs it? What are their pain points? Which features address the pain points? Answering those questions is a terrific way to build a product. But it’s a terrible way to assess the most important questions: Is somebody going to buy this thing? How many somebodys? It’s not that innovation teams ignore the question of demand. Pre-MVP surveys often assess new product interest. Surveys, however, don’t tell you if people want to buy your product; they just tell you whether people *think* they want to buy your product. Even worse, in many cases survey respondents are paid for their opinions. Are you really going to get a good read on how they will behave when they encounter your product for sale in the real world? 💡 Here’s an idea: Don’t put marketing at the end of the process. Put it at the beginning. Answer the hardest question—does anyone want this product?—as soon as you can. You may be thinking: how do I know which product to market? It’s early days. Good news: you can test-market multiple product concepts or multiple ways to position a product. Use ads. Be honest (“in development” should be prominent). See who clicks. See how many click. If it doesn’t meet your hurdle, try again or pull the plug. Learning early is better than learning late. Lean Startup and its MVP approach were arguably the last big innovation in innovation. But that was over 15 years ago. Isn’t it time for a new look at the process of innovation? #innovation #marketing #demandvalidation #concepttesting #heattesting