The hottest Project Planning Substack posts right now

Run a short facilitated activity that maps the "shape" of an initiative by answering focused questions to surface assumptions about scope, timing, value, and risk.
Have each person answer independently, then compare results, discuss surprises, and decide what needs clarification or further discovery before moving forward.
Use the questionnaire dimensions — team involvement, duration, value cadence, uncertainty, de‑risking, constraints, timing sensitivity, approach, research style, decision authority, and alignment — to choose the right execution and prioritization strategy.

Data teams should focus on projects that really matter to the business, not just completing tasks. It's important to pick work that makes a difference.
Understanding how your business works is key to finding valuable projects. Ask questions about the data to see what's impacting your important metrics.
Shift your mindset from being a regular team member to thinking like a business owner. This means taking initiative and seeking out projects that align with overall business goals.

AI and modern coding assistants make it easy for people with some technical background to build useful internal tools quickly, often in an afternoon.
Small, imperfect tools that automate niche workflows—like auto-summarising issue trackers into a "bragdoc" or a single-priority planning and staffing app—solve real problems without needing production-grade software.
Getting hands-on to build these tools removes the friction between wanting a tool and having one, letting teams be more practical, creative, and time-efficient without turning managers into full-time engineers.

Tie every proposal back to company OKRs and use clear metrics and smart questions to influence priorities even if you don’t own the product decision.
Use simple capacity math (engineers × weeks) to make feasibility obvious, label stretch goals as aspirational, and protect teams from overcommitment.
Manage dependencies with simple shared docs, secure soft commits with dates, document decisions clearly, and escalate through defined levels when blockers threaten the roadmap.

Plan releases using Event Modeling to make data-driven decisions.
Continuous delivery requires meticulous delivery planning, rather than relying on intuition.
Experienced teams lean towards structured planning based on decades of learning.

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Product management is about creating a product that meets customer needs and involves strategy and teamwork. If you like big-picture thinking and technology, this role might be for you.
Product marketing focuses on promoting and selling a product through messaging and campaigns. If you enjoy creativity and connecting with customers, product marketing could be a good fit.
Project management is all about making sure projects run smoothly on time and within budget. If you have strong organizational skills and like leading teams, project management may be your best path.

OKRs are goals that help teams measure their progress, while roadmaps are plans that outline how those goals will be achieved. They work best when used together.
A Key Result should have initiatives attached to it, which are specific actions you can take to achieve that goal, like improving website load times.
Roadmaps help prioritize tasks and track progress towards OKRs. They allow teams to see how their projects contribute to overall goals, ensuring everyone is on the same page.