The Top 10 things Lewis & Clark learned about

XXXP and AAAPeXtreme

eXploration

eXpedition

Projects

Aggressive

American

Agile

Projects

#10: Have a Sponsor• It helps if it’s the President.• Corollary: The Sponsor ALWAYS

underestimates resource requirements and costs;– Originally TJ proposed 10-12 men and $2500– Final costs were 33+ men and $38,722

• Corollary #2: The project goals are ALWAYS impossible. There is no western waterway from Saint Louis to the Pacific.

#9: Pair Paddling

• Lewis AND Clark

• 3 is OK

#8: Iterative Development• Major waypoint at Fort Mandan.

• Pacific Ocean was only the halfway point.

#7: Co-location• Other than an

occasional scouting trip, the team spent every living moment together.

• Even when they outsourced some of this to the Indians, the Indians were co-located.

#6: Start with a plan

#5: Simple Design

• Follow the river

#4: Responding to Change over Following a Plan

• Oh s#!%, a mountain

#3: Hire a Consultant/Coach

• Where would they have been without Sakakawea?

#2: Test First

#1: Sometimes you just can’t avoid a waterfall