Neglecting the most important project phase, planning, puts your project at risk. Two emotions cause the most important project phase to be the most neglected.
The two emotions are excitement and fear.
Excitement
The project is new! It’s shiny!
This feels hopeful and optimistic. The project’s going to change the world!
Excitement prevails!
This excitement tricks the team into believing its synchronized. Everyone thinks they have a common understanding of the project’s goals and how they’ll be achieved.
The excitement caused by the hope and optimism makes it hard to take a step back and plan.
Planning sounds boring. Nobody wants the boredom to stifle the excitement.
The team is ready to go, Go and GO!
After all, what can go wrong when everything looks so right?
Fear
The project’s already behind schedule. There’s no TIME to stop.
There are community members, investors and maybe even users who needed this YESTERDAY.
Planning will only get in the way. Planning will only slow things down.
And the project CAN’T slow down. You'll only fall FURTHER BEHIND. Progress must be demonstrated, at ALL COSTS.
That’s what the fear says.
After All, What Can Go Wrong?
Lots can go wrong. Lots will go wrong. Investing time to plan at the beginning of a project won’t stop things from going wrong.
Planning will help prevent things from going wrong. It will help a project recover when things start to go wrong.
Planning is worth the investment. The planning investment sets the foundation for a project’s success. That’s why it’s the most important project phase.
Think twice the next time you’re about to skip the planning phase. Check-in with yourself and see if a combination of fear and excitement are causing you to make this mistake.
Take three conscious breaths. Remind yourself that planning’s worth it. Then start planning!
P.S. — This goes for your crypto project too, especially since you’re asking people to trust you. You may be handling large sums of their money too.