Hi Reader,
Executives often ask me, "Why start something if we're unsure we can finish it? It just doesn't make sense."
Management tends to only begin something when they know it can be completed. If it's uncertain, they put it on hold—sometimes indefinitely—missing out on what could have been.
But what if you simply start with one thing?
Suddenly, starting turns that idea into something real, providing insights to help decide whether to continue.
Start somewhere to do something
One of my longtime mentors, an engineer trained at UC Berkeley in the early '60s, learned the principle of "SS"—Start Somewhere—early in his education.
That somewhere may not turn into an actual full-fledged project, but it always results in information for the company that they didn’t have before.
Does that mean they move on to the next step, like another set of deliverables or a full project?
Not necessarily.
It depends on how relevant the new information is to the company's problem they're trying to solve.
All or nothing revisited
I received many comments from my article last week called All or Nothing.
One of my readers, an executive working in compliance, said “starting somewhere used to be called progressive elaboration back in the day. Start somewhere and then replan as you acquire greater visibility of what the next steps need to be. The pushback I often hear is when will we finish, or why start if we don't know we can complete the project?”
This reader is correct. Progressive elaboration means that we refine details as more information becomes available.
It may seem obvious, but it's worth stating: you can't progressively elaborate without initial details to build upon!
Do something
Need clarity fast? Let’s fix your project’s next step—together.
If you’re mid-project (or stuck before you even start), our Pick Our PM Brain session is made for you.
You will get a focused, 60-minute strategy call with a senior project manager—where we’ll:
• Uncover the bottleneck or blocker in your project
• Prioritize your next 2–3 actionable steps
• Recommend tools, templates, or workflows based on your goals
• Share what’s worked in similar projects across healthtech, IT, and startups
No fluff. No “checklist downloads.” No ambiguous advice. Just real strategy.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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Recent Articles
All or Nothing: Chunk down and start somewhere
Please share with your colleagues!