Large projects need large communicating
This one resonates lately with patterns I've been experiencing in larger projects.
Mega-projects are often constrained by information gathering rather than execution speed. That shifts the focus from "work faster" to "learn faster" — running tight "OODA loops" (observe, orient, decide, act) to reduce uncertainty as quickly as possible.
Two practical points that echo my own experience:
- Overcommunicate far more than feels natural. People need ambient awareness of goals and context to make good autonomous decisions. Saying something once isn't enough — I've found that what feels like over-repetition is usually just enough.
- Delegate management, not just tasks. Beyond ~10 people, you need to hand off the coordination work itself to people who can own clear end goals. This is harder than it sounds because it requires finding people who can think in systems, not just complete checklists.
The appendix includes a practical DRI starter kit with templates for weekly meetings and status updates — worth bookmarking for future reference.