Haunted Projects Survival Guide
summary
Survival steps: measure technical debt impact with Microsoft Excel ROI calc (example: 20‑minute builds × developers × days saves ~20 workdays after a 2‑day fix), run quarterly brainstorming to pick cheap high‑impact fixes, fight broken windows with a printed‑code Boy Scout competition that raised cleanup rates, shield engineers using a supporter of the week role, use Pomodoro and a two‑hour “no‑reply” focus window to cut context switching, and negotiate scope or approvals by translating delays into money lost.
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chapters (12)
- 0:00Introduction
- 3:10Projects and life goals
- 8:57Project monsters and problems
- 11:04Business and monoliths
- 17:22Micromanagement and bureaucracy
- 21:16Stagnant technology
- 25:07Purpose in daily work
- 27:11User stories and backlog
- 29:39Deadlines and scope
- 31:45Noise and distractions
- 33:53Choosing battles
- 35:17Final advice
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