Project Liftoff Guide
Projects Are The Basis Of The Economy.
"Project Management" sounds corporate, but it's just the skill of **finishing what you start**. It's the "secret code" behind every successful app launch, group trip, final paper, or side-hustle.
This module is your 'cheat sheet' to stop *starting* and start *finishing*. You will learn to:
- Define the Goal: Stop "doing stuff" and define what "done" actually looks like.
- Spot Risks: Find the "Oh No" moments *before* they happen.
- Track Progress: Use real data to see if you're winning or losing.
- Fix What's Broken: Learn the 5-step loop to fix problems for good.
1. The 'WHAT' (Define & Scope)
This is the most important step. If you get this wrong, you'll build the wrong thing, plan the wrong trip, or write the wrong essay.
What is "Scope"?
The "scope" defines the edges of your project. It's a clear, written agreement on what you are doing, and just as importantly, what you are **NOT** doing.
# PROJECT: Launch a Food Blog
# IN SCOPE:
- 10 starter recipes
- "About Me" page
- Mobile-friendly design
# OUT OF SCOPE: (The "Scope Creep" monster)
- Building a custom app
- Starting a YouTube channel
- Selling merchandise
The MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Your MVP is the absolute simplest version of your project that *still works*. It's not the "final" version, it's the "v1.0" you can launch to see if the idea is any good.
- Goal: Build a car.
- Bad Plan: Build a wheel, then an axle, then a frame... (nothing works until the end).
- Good Plan (MVP): Build a skateboard, then a scooter, then a bike... (you have a working product at every step).
The 'Stakeholders' (Who Cares?)
A stakeholder is anyone who has a "stake" in your project. The client, your boss, your professor, the end-user, or even your group project members.
Your #1 job is to manage their expectations.
- Project: Group Presentation
- Stakeholders: Professor (wants a good grade), Group Members (want to do minimal work), You (want to lead).
- The Goal: Find the single "Driver" (usually the one paying or grading) and make them happy first.
CLI Check-in
Q1: Your project is "Plan a Group Trip." Write a *bad* (vague) scope statement.
> CLI Ready. Awaiting input...
2. The 'HOW' (Plan & Resources)
A goal without a plan is just a `// TODO:` comment you'll never get to. This is where you break the "WHAT" into small, actionable "HOWs".
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
You can't "do" a project. You can only do *tasks*. A WBS breaks big, scary goals into tiny, easy steps.
# GOAL: Make a Podcast Episode
# EPIC (Big Task):
- Record Episode 1
# TASKS (Small Steps):
- Research episode topic
- Write script (v1)
- Get feedback from friend
- Record audio
- Edit audio (remove "ums")
- Upload to host
The 'Oh No' Plan (Risk Management)
Good PMs hope for the best. Great PMs plan for the worst. Write down what could go wrong *before* it does.
Use the IF... THEN... formula:
- Risk:
IFmy guest doesn't show up...THENI will record a solo episode instead. - Risk:
IFmy laptop dies...THENI will use the auto-saved cloud backup. - Risk:
IFwe run out of money...THENwe will cut the "pro video" feature (de-scope).
Your First Toolkit: Kanban vs. Gantt
Kanban (like Trello/Notion): The best for most people. It's a visual board with columns.
- Columns:
To Do|Doing (WIP)|Done - Pro: Super simple, flexible, great for visualizing work in progress (WIP).
Gantt Chart (like Asana/MS Project): A timeline for complex projects with deadlines and dependencies.
- Shows: Task A must finish *before* Task B can start.
- Pro: Powerful for managing time and seeing bottlenecks. Overkill for personal projects.
CLI Check-in
Q1: Your task is 'Clean My Apartment'. Break it down into 3 simple sub-tasks (one per line).
> CLI Ready. Awaiting input...
3. The 'DO' (Execute & Track)
This is where the work happens. Your job now is to protect the team from distraction and *track progress* against the plan. Are we winning or losing?
The most important visual: The Burndown Chart
This chart shows how much work is left vs. how much time is left. If the "Actual" line is above "Ideal," you're in trouble.
How to read this: The team planned to do 30 tasks in 10 days (Ideal Line). The "Falling Behind" chart shows they wasted 3 days and now have a mountain of work to do at the end. This visual *proves* there's a problem.
4. The 'FIX' (Review & Improve)
This is the "Six Sigma" part. Your project *will* break. A process for fixing it is what separates amateurs from pros.
Use the 5-Step "Fix-It" Loop (DMAIC)
(D) Define the Problem
Be specific. Don't say "The app is buggy." Say "Users on Android 12 see a 'crash' when clicking the 'Buy' button."
Bad: "Our group project is failing."
Good: "No one has submitted their slides by the Sunday deadline."
(M) Measure the Problem
Get the data. "Gut feelings" are lies. Data tells the truth.
Gut Feeling: "No one *ever* reads the emails."
Measurement: "Our last 3 emails had a 12% open rate, which is 15% below our goal."
(A) Analyze the Root Cause
Don't fix the symptom; fix the *cause*. Use the **"5 Whys"** technique.
1. Why were slides late? > We were confused.
2. Why were we confused? > The tasks were unclear.
3. Why were tasks unclear? > No one read the brief.
4. Why? > The brief was a 10-page doc.
5. Why? > We didn't have a simple checklist.
**ROOT CAUSE:** We had a "wall of text," not a checklist.
(I) Improve the Process
Propose a clear, simple fix for the *root cause* you found.
The Fix: "From now on, all project briefs will include a 1-page summary with a clear checklist of tasks and owners. No more 10-page docs."
(C) Control the New Process
How do you make the fix *stick*? You "control" it by making it the new standard.
The Control: "We will use a project template in Notion that *requires* the checklist to be filled out before any work can begin. This makes the fix permanent."
CLI Check-in
Q1: Your problem is "The podcast audio sounds bad." Ask the first question of a "5 Whys" analysis.
> CLI Ready. Awaiting input...
5. The Pro-Tools (PM Methods)
There are different "operating systems" for running projects. Choosing the right one saves you a ton of headaches.
| Best For... | The Vibe | Key Risk |
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