Understanding

Understanding what you need to do before you start a project is important, but not understanding it all shouldn't stop a project starting. Most project work starts with a phrase like "wouldn't it be cool if we could....." or “I would like to be able to ... so that I can ..." I'll let you fill in the blanks.

This start leads into a review of what exactly is required, how it might work, and what the end user can expect when the project is complete. The more complete the review and requirements list is, the better for the understanding of the people working on the project. However, you can start the project even without this review being complete. I would say that it needs to be 60-70% complete, but at that point the project work can start.

Here is the catch; to start a project where the requirements are not complete invites a risk that you might need to redo parts as the requirements get more and more refined. If you’re willing to take that risk, then there is no problem. Just be prepared to make changes as the requirements change, or when new ones are added.

Why start when you might just need to redo it all? If it is done well, and you are able to mitigate the risk, you can deliver the completed project earlier than if you waited for the entire review to be completed. The risk could mean that it takes longer as you are always redoing the work to fit the latest requirements.