How Big Things Get Done Book Review - Debunking the Myth We've All Bought Into
Ever been told, "Stop planning and just start!"?
The entrepreneurial world is flooded with advice suggesting that detailed planning is a creativity-killer or that the best approach is to dive right in, learning as we go. Who needs to plan?
But what if we're setting ourselves up for failure without even trying to succeed in the first place?
Ever launched a new website with grand visions of skyrocketing traffic, only to hear crickets?
Or rolled out a brand makeover, expecting fanfare, but got a lukewarm reception instead?
We’ve all had flopped projects, but do you know WHY it truly flopped?
Cue the Book: "How Big Things Get Done"
Context: Why I chose this book as an entrepreneur myself…
I run a subscription box business for female entrepreneurs in Australia. We've done great so far, reaching six figures, but we're aiming to go bigger which means our campaigns, tasks, team and visions are also bigger.
Meaning the overall management of these projects are a lot more complicated (and cost a lot more money). When you’re spending upwards of $1000+ on projects, you want to mitigate the RISK.
So that’s why I wanted to get insight in how big projects get done and use this knowledge to ensure I succeed with my own.
My Key Takeaways
The book dives deep into how to best plan for your project. Each chapter talks about a specific stage of the planning process coupled with real-world examples of how projects have failed/succeeded using the techniques discussed.
There is no arguing that what he is saying isn’t backed up with real-world insight and data.
My favourite chapter was “Chapter 6: So You Think Your Project is Unique.”
Flyvbjerg champions the idea of mining data from projects similar to the one you’re going to do. Why? Because lessons learned from their budgets, timeframes, and outcomes will help you succeed.
Go out and speak to people who have done it, what went wrong, how much did it cost, how long did it take? Then you can average out their responses to come up with your own plan.
He talks more in-depth on how this can be done in the chapter!
What could’ve been done better IMO
I occasionally found myself lost in lengthy discussions about projects that didn't resonate with me or I found boring. So I did find myself skimming over the examples to get straight to the point.
The addition of diagrams could've transformed the book and helped readers have more of an actionable guide. It would have made it easier to implement his teachings.
Rating
Overall Rating (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you're an entrepreneur with dreams of scaling even bigger, this book might be your next best read. This is a roadmap to ensure your next big thing gets done with success.
