Most projects go though several design cycles, and this usually starts with a theoretical goal or a proof-of-concept requirement. I have found that identifying

Most projects go though several design cycles, and this usually starts with a theoretical goal or a proof-of-concept requirement. I have found that identifying the “hard” features first, and defining fixed time-budget micro-projects or key unit-tests is useful. Primarily, this method quickly identifies if a project is even viable with the available team, resources, and knowledge base. Saying “No” to projects which incur serious liabilities, is just as important as minimizing project scope. Unconstrained sisyphean commitments are a common feature afflicting those with Founder's syndrome, and can have detrimental impact on projects as the intelligent begin to jump ship before it sinks. Every firm that lives past 1 business cycle will have a project boneyard. ;)