SPMF: A Startup Project Management Framework

S P M F - S T A R T U P P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T F R A M E W O R K

A C C E L E R A T E F R O M V I S I O N T O V A L U E

S P Y R O S K T E N A S , M B A , B S C ( I T ) , P F M P, A C P, P R I N C E 2

H T T P : / / O P E N - W O R K S . O R G / P R O F I L E S / S P Y R O S - K T E N A S1

http://open-works.org/profiles/spyros-ktenas

WHY STARTUPS ARE DIFFERENT

• No past experiences – lesson learned

• Have to focus on what’s wrong with the current market

• Have to ask “Why are we starting this business?”

• Limited resources

• Uncertainty

• Incomplete Teams (often key roles are not available)

• Have to perform on unstructured work hours

• Have to perform from unstructured work locations

• Limited structured operational support

2Spyros Ktenas - http://open-works.org/profiles/spyros-ktenas | SPMF - Startup Project Management Framework


WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES

• Intellectual property protection for their idea

• Build something that can stand and convince people

• Get funding

• Get a market share

• Expand and Grow

• Change



THE STATUS

472 million entrepreneurs worldwide attempting to start 305 million companies,

approximately 100 million new businesses will open each year. (Moya K. Mason Worldwide Business Start-Ups)

90% of startups Fail (forbes.com)

Only 2.5% Gets Funding at the Early Stage from Angel Investors.

The percentage is even lower for VC funding.



WHY STARTUPS FAIL – IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT TERMS

1. No Market Need – No Business Justification/Wrong Scope

2. Bad Budget Planning – No Project Cost Planning

3. Not the right team – Bad or no Team Management

4. Get out competed – Wrong Scope/Time Management

5. Pricing/Cost – Poor Scope/Benefits Management

6. Poor Product – Bad Quality Management



SPMF - STARTUP PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

• Focus only on Project Management principles and

techniques that will add the most of value

• Procedures to protect from common mistakes

• Simplified documentation compared to Plan

Driven/Waterfall Methods

• More control and less uncertainty than Agile Methods




Three Phases

1. Project Concept - PHASE 0

2. Project Plan - PHASE 1

3. Project Development - PHASE 2

1. Unlimited Stages

2. Flexibility to work agile on plan driven based on stage characteristics

Three Main Documents

1. Project Concept

2. Project Plan

3. Product/services description documents




Project

Concept

Phase

Project

Plan

Phase

Project

Development

Phase

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

…

Project

ConceptDocument

Project

PlanDocument

Product/

services

description

documents

Learn

and Revise

Learn

and Revise

Learn

and

Change Learn

and

Change



PROJECT CONCEPT - PHASE 0

• Write down your idea (you may use vision and mission statements)

• Briefly describe the product/service

• Define the skills your team will need to have in order to deliver

• Define the budget you will need to have in order to deliver

• Define the basic project time frames

• Search for competition

• Write down weaknesses your product/service will cover

• Describe your market

• Justify the need for the products/services

• Search how other similar startups have become successful and why some have failed. Write down the lessons learned



PROJECT CONCEPT - PHASE 0

• Write down Risk Factors (both threats and opportunities)

• Form the team

• Appoint the Team leader or Project Manager

• Try to Identify your financial sources

• Do a primary investigation on funding sources and what you need in order to apply

• Revise your deliverables in order to cover what you should have for funding

applications

• Get Everything In a Project Brief Document. Be brief and as precise as you can at this

stage. You can revise later



PROJECT PLAN - PHASE 1

• Define Team Roles

• Describe the deliverables (products/services) in detail

• Define the tools and methods you will use

• Do a risk register to monitor Threats - Opportunities

• Do a benefits register to monitor benefits of the project and their status

• Do a communication Plan

• Break down tasks

• Assign tasks to teams/team members

• Group deliverable and actions to stages

• Make project schedule with key milestones and deliverables

• Create a budget plan

• Get Everything In a Project Plan Document . You can revise later.



PROJECT DEVELOPMENT - PHASE 2

• Choose to work Agile or Plan Driven during development stages. Get expert advice on

the methods

• Monitor and control stage outcomes

• Monitor Overall Time, Budget, Risks, Benefits, the Business Need

• Revise the plans if needed

• Discuss lessons learned at the end of every stage and apply changes at the beginning

of the next stage

• Create Product/Services description documents



THINKS TO WATCH

• Deliverables Definition

Build only what you need to START UP! …nothing more

• Optimize Cost/Value

There are things that cost a lot and add low value. Think if you can exclude these items from work packages

• Build the proper team

Your team should have the skills needed to deliver. People with skills that are of no need in the project will drive you back. Think about Project Management Skills. Most start ups fail because teams miss these skills.

• Manage your budget

Many startups run out of budget just before completing the work that has to be done.

• Do plans

Those who plan do better than those who do not, even if they don’t fully follow the plan.



THINGS TO WATCH



THINGS TO WATCH

Plan – But keep it simple

Do the right things

Do the things right

If you don't know where you are going,

how can you expect to get there?~ Basil S. Walsh

Produce value faster



ACCELERATE FROM VISION TO VALUE

Spyros Ktenas, MBA, BSc (IT), PfMP, ACP, PRINCE2


THANK YOU!


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Technology

SPMF: A Startup Project Management Framework