> We can tell, well in advance, what's going to work and what isn't both in terms of the technical approach and the management process. Agree? Yes, those of wi

> We can tell, well in advance, what's going to work and what isn't both in terms of the technical approach and the management process. Agree? Yes, those of with experience can usually spot this stuff early on. But that doesn't mean we're in any position to do anything about it. Most often, software projects come pre-populated with people and institutional cultures. We don't get to pick the people and design the cultures from the ground up. At least not when we're contracting. > If that is the case how do we convert that intuition into something that can work in the real world? If you're building a startup that sells a product, then you hire good people and foster a healthy company culture. You're not beholden to any one outside entity, so you're not forced to import any such entity's preexisting pathologies. If you're contracting? I think you just have to accept that projects will involve destructive people and cultures at times. Sometimes they'll cause projects to fail. In that case, the best you can hope to do is to protect yourself and your reputation.