Hi, project management can help a great deal for startups. In fact I have project managed several in the Philippines, with foreign owned businesses. We ran the startup ventures like any project. It's actually surprising that many owners of startup businesses don't use professional PM's. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
In addition to what Sante said - which works for corporate.
If you have a few individuals or one trying to launch a new business, they might not be able to afford a PM so their choice is either to learn PM or at least consider one that would help pro-bono or in return for a few shares Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Forget about to implement project management into startups. At least in a formal way. Each time you tried to implement something into an organization you have to take into account that:1-what you implement will impact the whole organization. 2-it must have an strategical reason. To see if the intention is aligned with the 2 points you have to perform an entprise analysis first. Inside it you will take into account the point inside the organizational life cycle you are today. Startups are into the "Growth" phase of the organizational life cycle. Inside that phase all is "chaos" and the strategical focus is to make money. So, nobody will follow you to implement somethig formal. But, you can use project management in some degree. Saving Changes...
Betsy GreenOnboarding Manager| TownNews.comMoline, Il, United States
I've worked for two companies that were start-ups that began with no formal project management process in place. Hiring a PM was something they planned to do "later down the road," and I came on board at those "later down the road" times.
In both cases, because there was no formal project management in place, I had to dig the team out of some significant problems. There were no schedules, so team members had no way of prioritizing their work and clients did not have clear expectations of when their work would be completed. Time was not tracked against project work, so there was no way to analyze whether or not the estimates given to clients were appropriate - once I did this work, we discovered across the board that we had been undercharging. Workload was distributed unequally across resources. There was no process for billing or collection on invoices, so income was haphazard and unpredictable. Quality control was inconsistent, so errors and rework were an expected part of life. Lack of overall control of project scope led to significant scope creep.
In short, both start-ups with no project management process were losing money, had poor customer satisfaction, and frustrated, overworked team members. If they hadn't hired me when they did, I doubt they would have survived. Saving Changes...
I agree with Betsy, and it seems we have both been in a similar position before. A startup can only benefit by being managed as a project. They are in fact all projects, whether they are managed by a professional PM or not. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Great feedback Betsy & I agree with you. Saving Changes...
Deepa KalangiManager, Program Management, Author, Trainer| CVS HealthCharlotte, NC, United States
Start ups definitely do need a PM. The coordination, communication, tracking and keeping the project run on wheels is all lost without one. For a new team, and a new company, the direction of the work is very important, otherwise we will lose quality very easily and quickly and therefore retention becomes difficult. I did manage a couple projects a while ago where there was no platform, no formal procedure or methodology. I formed a small group of PM's and run as a PMO(al though a small one) Saving Changes...
Paris kermanshahiMBA Student| Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, Ca, United States
Thanks guys, I agree with those who say startups need a project manager. In my idea, Project management skills bring clarity and focus to the startup process.
The success of a startup depends on setting expectations, risk management, proper project planning, effective communication among the team.
You don’t need to hire an in-house or full-time project manager. You can easily hire Contract-based project managers. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
If there are projects, there should be a project manager - whether FT in-house, contracted, or PMaaS Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I would focus on general management processes, rather than being specific to projects. Those management processes will always be needed, even when you don't have projects. Saving Changes...
Community Champion
