Tom Peter's Project 50

The Project 50 - Fifty Ways to Transform Every "Task" into a Project that Matters

Written by Tom Peters, Published in 1999.

Part I: Create

1. Reframe. Never - ever - accept a project/ assignment as given.


2. Translate your daily experiences into 'cool stuff to do'. Look for ways to learn - Golden Learning Opportunities


3. Use the word "WOW!"


4. Adopt an attitude that there are no small projects... then remember that any activity can be converted into a WOW!


5. Put on the brakes - if the project won't be Memorable/ Braggable/ WOW! then ditch it quickly.


6. Design the project until you love it.


7. Make the project beautiful.


8. Beauty/ Grace/ Friendliness/ Identity/ WOW/ Magical Moments: Design it to make it happen


9. Make the project Revolutionary


10. Use the web to spice it up


11. Impact: Make it Matter... you can count on pissing a few people off.


12. Create RAVING FANS - Clients who L-O-V-E your stuff... Especially women (including explicitly catering to their needs).


13. Go on a Crusade!


14. Make your environment work for you - have a cachet of goodies!


15. Does your WOW project sing to you from your resume?


16. Work with a team of diverse people


17. Treat the WOW Project like a small business


18. Make deadlines!


19. Find a Wise Friend: You need a counselor


20. Network - use your team... co-conspirators. Think "user" from the start.


21. Carry a little card that reads "WOW!/ BEAUTIFUL!/ REVOLUTIONARY!/ IMPACT!/ RAVING FANS!
    
    

    Part II: Sell



22. Sales: Brevity - create a succcint WOW Project sales pitch. Metaphor time


23. Sell to anyone and everyone at all levels in the organisation


24. BUZZtime is all the time


25. Expand the network - do your 'community work'


26. Supporters are supporters, no matter when they sign on.


27. Look after your friends


28. Forget your enemies


29. Create an Advisory Board: MASTERMIND... you are as cool as the cool people who are seen to be supporting you


30. Live lite - get rid of the crap


31. Test and prototype and reinvent the concept - FAST
    
    

    Part III: Implement



32. Chunk - test - try


33. Live, Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Prototype! Create a culture of prototyping!


34. Play!


35. Get feedback fast! Especially from the 'real world'


36. Blow it up and start again


37. Recruit the best - continuously!
    
    Humor: laugh as you work!


38. Create a Master Document


39. Make short lists - get rid of useless information


40. Timeline - reign supreme.
    
    Wanted: Ms. Last Two Percent - finishing fanaticism is what separates 'pretty good' from 'WOW'


41. 15 minute meetings - get in and get out Fast.
    
    The succinct, summary morning meeting matters!


42. Celebrate - success is obvious, though also failure as a stepping stone to success!


43. Don't let the exigencies of "implementation" distract you from WOW!


44. WOW Projects have identity, spirit, personality: focus on these


45. Embrace the suits - cast the fan club net more broadly


46. Focus on the user - more than ever now


47. Concoct a Buzz Management Program: Permanent Campaign.
    
    Implementation = Marketing
    
    

    Part IV: Exit



48. Mainstream the idea and get out!
    
    Take succession planning seriously.


49. Seed your freaks into the mainstream... spread the word of WOW!


50. Write up your WOW Project.
    
    Celebrate
    
    Move on to the next WOW Project!