You may not have control over things like scope, timeframe, budget, "resources" (how I hate that word), but be expected to meet an arbitrary deadline. Get used

You may not have control over things like scope, timeframe, budget, "resources" (how I hate that word), but be expected to meet an arbitrary deadline. Get used to that. As sjg007 says, double any estimates you get, and don't confuse effort with duration. A task may require 4 hours of effort, but take 2 weeks to complete. Google "planning fallacy", or see http://lesswrong.com/lw/jg/planning_fallacy/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/jg/planning_fallacy/. In general getting a list of tasks together and thinking you have a handle on what it will take is a delusion. Trust your gut. These books shifted my thinking on why some projects work out and others are disasters. * http://www.amazon.com/The-Principles-Product-Development-Flow/dp/1935401009 http://www.amazon.com/The-Principles-Product-Development-Flo... * http://theleanstartup.com/ http://theleanstartup.com/ You could go the PMP route, I suppose. And get used to MS Project, which is a tool of the devil, but a necessary evil.