🚩Your project didn’t fail at the end

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WHY THIS MATTERS

Most projects don’t collapse halfway through.

They collapse in the first 7 days.

But no one realizes it.

Why?

Because nobody’s thinking clearly on Day 1.

Too many project managers rush into execution mode:

→ Let’s build the plan.
→ Let’s assign the work.
→ Let’s go go go.

But the foundations are weak.

No shared understanding.

No alignment on outcomes.

No clarity on who’s driving what.

So everything looks fine… until it doesn’t.

Here’s how to stop projects from failing before they begin and make Day 1 your strongest day:

BEFORE WE GET STARTED

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THE METHOD

Here’s how to propose a new AI tool in a way that drives real adoption, reduces friction, and makes you look like the kind of leader people want to follow:

1. Stop Starting with Tasks
   → Tasks come later.
   → Start with the one sentence that defines the finish line.
   → If you can’t explain success in 10 words, you’re not ready.

Example Action: Write “This project is successful when…” at the top of every project doc before you assign a single task.

2. Kill the Scope Creep Before It’s Born
   → Most scope creep is self-inflicted.
   → Say what’s out of scope up front.
   → The fuzzier the boundaries, the more your team will drown.

Example Action: Add “This project does not include…” to every kickoff doc. Fill it in like a lawyer, not a dreamer.

3. Assign One Owner or Prepare for Chaos
   → Shared ownership is a myth.
   → If five people own the outcome, no one owns the result.
   → One driver, everyone else supports.

Example Action: Add an “Owner” line to the top of every project board. That name is the final call on everything.

4. Call Out the Risks Before They Wreck You
   → Stop being surprised by things you already knew were risky.
   → Predict the top three landmines up front.
   → What you ignore early will own you later.

Example Action: Add a “Top 3 Risks” box to every kickoff plan. Review it weekly.

5. Ditch the Fake Kickoff Email
   → A kickoff email doesn’t align anyone.
   → Get everyone in a live session.
   → If you’re not hearing confusion, you're not asking the right questions.

Example Action: Host a live alignment call focused only on outcomes, scope, and risks. No task lists allowed.

6. Ban Vague Deadlines
   → “Due next month” means “ignored until panic.”
   → Set dates you can actually work backwards from.
   → Tie every deadline to a specific milestone or event.

Example Action: Replace “due in May” with “complete before client launch May 12.” Anchor it to something real.

7. Delete 50 Percent of Tasks Before You Start
   → Half of what’s in your initial task list won’t matter.
   → Complexity looks impressive but kills execution.
   → Cut the fat before it becomes a mess.

Example Action: Take your first draft task list. Cross out everything that doesn’t directly move the outcome forward.

8. Make Your First Deliverable Small and Public
   → Big secret deliverables are where failure hides.
   → Build something early that others can see.
   → Visibility forces momentum and accountability.

Example Action: Deliver a version 1 doc, prototype, or report by day 7. Make people react.

9. Require Every Task to Have a Verb and a Result
   → “Marketing plan” isn’t a task.
   → “Draft Q2 launch marketing plan to share with CEO” is.
   → No verbs, no accountability.

Example Action: Review your board. Rewrite any card that’s just a noun.

10. Make Team Roles Blindingly Obvious
    → “We’re all helping” means “I’m waiting for someone else.”
    → Roles should be so obvious they’re boring.
    → Every task needs an owner, not a group.

Example Action: On your kickoff call, name who is accountable for each outcome. No group assignments.

11. End Every Meeting With This One Question
    → “What’s unclear or feels risky right now?”
    → Don’t end on updates. End on truth.
    → This question surfaces the things that break projects.

Example Action: Make this the last line of every kickoff and status meeting. Then shut up and listen.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Most project failures don’t happen at the deadline.

They happen in the first 72 hours.

But nobody notices—because the house doesn’t burn down right away.

It starts with:
→ fuzzy goals
→ fake alignment
→ too many owners
→ too many tasks
→ no one saying the hard things

And by the time you realize it, the damage is done.

So slow down the start.

Make Day 1 brutal in its clarity.

Define success. Kill fluff. Assign real ownership. Name the risks.

Because the projects that win?

They’re not the ones with the prettiest Gantt chart.

They’re the ones that start with sharp thinking, ruthless focus, and teams who aren’t afraid to speak up early.

If you want clean execution, earn it up front.

THAT’S A WRAP

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Until next time,
Justin