This is a post from a series in which I review different books I think every software developer might find useful. Not all books are strictly software related, but all can be valuable for your life and career.

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Hope you enjoy the read,

Tom

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I was always fascinated by project dynamics. Whenever I have an opportunity to better understand why some projects fail and others are delivered on time and budget, I’m eager to take it.

That’s why I was very curious about “How Big Things Get Done” by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Flyvbjerg is a leading expert on megaprojects. Together with his partners, he created a database of big projects and their performance. Based on this database and vast experience working with megaprojects, they try to explain why some of them fail and others are successful.

Book is packed with valuable lessons and examples. The authors effectively use case studies to illustrate both failures and unexpected successes. It does a great job of showing what sets successful projects apart from those that drag for years.

My favorite idea from the book is the importance of modularization. I always paid attention to repetitive areas of my work that can be packed into easy-to-describe procedures or even better - automated, but I wasn’t aware how big a difference modularization plays when it comes to project management. If you are able to split your project into simple repetitive blocks, delivering something huge is as simple as building many simple things. However, if you are building something huge that is unique or bespoke, you are most likely in for trouble.

What’s also great about this book is that it can help with projects we all need to manage in our lives. Kitchen renovation, building a house, planning holidays. Most ideas from the book translate well to those projects and can help you get through them smoother, on time, and on budget. This book will be a valuable read for project managers, leaders in large organizations, and anyone embarking on significant personal endeavors.

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Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed reading this post and would like to stay in touch, please subscribe to my newsletter.

Tom