Projects are More than Predictive or Adaptive

Projects are far more than simply predictive OR adaptive. 

(and no, ‘hybrid’ isn’t the fallback or a ‘new’ approach)

If you have a chance, I encourage you to watch the movie Showrunners.

This documentary explores the world of creating episodic TV shows, and it’s a fascinating look into a world of projects and projects mgmt that we rarely talk about.

(they don’t even use these terms)

But they are most definitely *projects*. 

And they’re neither predictive nor adaptive. They’re both.

Consider – 13 or 23 times a year the crews *MUST* deliver a new episode every 7 days (fixed deadline).

The shows have budgets for what they can spend per episode. The shows must meet certain predefined criteria (scope) – min/max length, continuity with the season’s storyline, compliance with network standards or rules, and so on.

So a lot of planning is required.

At the same time, none of the episodes themselves are pre-written or predefined. They’re being written, rewritten, and shot right up until the last minute, all in order to provide the best possible ‘product’. Ideas for future storylines/scripts my exist, but nothing’s defined (think ‘features’ and ‘backlog’).

So very adaptive and incremental. 

Creative work, knowledge work, physical requirements, the Triple Constraints, Sponsors (networks), stakeholders (audience/fans), and adaptive and incremental development and delivery, all rolled into one.

Even the idea of value is in play via ‘ratings’.

It’s on most streaming platforms, and is well worth a watch.

Originally published on LinkedIn