The beginning of my professional career was the position of a team leader for a company doing best in breed solution for a pocket PC. Was this project a success?
Well yes and no. For me most definitely. We delivered the product on time, and the management was pleased with the quality and functionality. The company itself, though, after spending the reasonable budget on the development, found itself in a position of not having enough funds to do the actual marketing of the product. It got broke and went out of business eventually.
The whole story can teach several valuable lessons. Number one is that the product in IT is just a portion (minor) of success. Number two is that the determined tasks are much easier to accomplish. Number three – without proper budgeting and planning any journey will be a waste. Number four is that the goals of the company and the goals of employees are not necessary the same. Number five – any failure can be a good start.
