🏗️ PM Foundation: Development Approaches

The Big Picture: How Do We Build Things?

Imagine you’re building a treehouse. There are different ways to do it:

1. Plan everything first – Draw every detail, buy all materials, then build exactly as planned
2. Build as you go – Start with a platform, see how it feels, add walls, adjust, add a roof
3. Mix both – Plan the foundation carefully, but decide on decorations as you build

Project management works the same way! Let’s explore each approach.

🎯 The Three Life Cycles

graph TD
    A[Project Approaches] --> B[Predictive]
    A --> C[Adaptive]
    A --> D[Hybrid]
    B --> B1[Plan Everything First]
    C --> C1[Build & Adjust]
    D --> D1[Best of Both]

📋 Predictive Life Cycle

What Is It?

The Predictive approach (also called “Waterfall”) is like following a recipe step-by-step.

Think of it like baking a cake:

• You read the entire recipe first
• Gather ALL ingredients before starting
• Follow each step in order
• No changes once you start mixing!

Key Characteristics

When to Use Predictive?

✅ Perfect for:

• Building a bridge (can’t change design mid-construction!)
• Manufacturing a car model
• Government contracts with fixed requirements
• Projects where requirements are crystal clear

Real Example

Building a House:

1. Initiation – Decide to build a house
2. Planning – Architect draws complete blueprints
3. Execution – Builders follow blueprints exactly
4. Monitoring – Inspectors check against plans
5. Closing – Family moves in

💡 Key Insight: In Predictive, you know exactly what you’re getting before you start. No surprises!

🔄 Adaptive Life Cycle

What Is It?

The Adaptive approach (also called “Agile”) is like building with LEGO blocks.

Think of it like playing with LEGO:

• Start with a basic idea
• Build a small part, show it to your friend
• “Oh, let’s add a tower here!”
• Keep building, changing, improving

Key Characteristics

The Iteration Magic

graph TD
    A[Sprint 1] --> B[Show & Get Feedback]
    B --> C[Sprint 2]
    C --> D[Show & Get Feedback]
    D --> E[Sprint 3]
    E --> F[And so on...]

Each iteration (or sprint) is typically 1-4 weeks:

• Plan a little
• Build a little
• Show what you built
• Learn and adjust

When to Use Adaptive?

✅ Perfect for:

• Mobile app development
• Websites that need frequent updates
• Projects where customers change their minds
• When you’re not 100% sure what you want

Real Example

Building a Mobile App:

• Week 1-2: Build login screen, show to customer
• Week 3-4: Add home page, customer says “make it blue!”
• Week 5-6: Add shopping cart, customer loves it
• Week 7-8: Customer says “add wishlist!” – no problem!

💡 Key Insight: In Adaptive, the plan changes as you learn more. Change is welcome!

🔀 Hybrid Life Cycle

What Is It?

Hybrid is like having your cake and eating it too!

Think of building a car:

• Engine & safety systems → Use Predictive (must be perfect, no changes)
• Dashboard & entertainment → Use Adaptive (customers want new features)

Key Characteristics

How It Works

graph TD
    A[Project Start] --> B[Predictive Phase]
    B --> C[Core Foundation Built]
    C --> D[Adaptive Phase]
    D --> E[Features Added Iteratively]
    E --> F[Final Product]

When to Use Hybrid?

✅ Perfect for:

• Software with hardware components
• Large projects with both stable and changing parts
• When regulations require some predictive elements
• Organizations transitioning from waterfall to agile

Real Example

Building an E-commerce Website:

• Predictive parts:
  • Payment security system (must meet regulations)
  • Database structure (foundation)
• Adaptive parts:
  • Homepage design (customer feedback)
  • Product recommendations (experiment and adjust)

💡 Key Insight: Hybrid gives you flexibility where you need it and stability where you must have it!

⚔️ Predictive vs Adaptive: The Showdown

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Right Tool for the Job

Use Predictive When:

• Requirements won’t change
• You need detailed documentation
• Stakeholders want to see everything planned
• It’s a compliance-heavy project

Use Adaptive When:

• Requirements will definitely change
• Speed to market matters
• Customer feedback is crucial
• Innovation is needed

The Stacey Matrix

A helpful way to decide:

graph TD
    A[Simple & Clear] --> B[Predictive Works Great]
    C[Complicated] --> D[Hybrid is Good]
    E[Complex & Unclear] --> F[Adaptive is Best]

🎨 Tailoring Projects

What Is Tailoring?

Tailoring is like being a chef who adjusts a recipe.

Example:

• Standard recipe says “add 1 tsp salt”
• But you’re cooking for someone who needs less sodium
• So you adjust: “add 1/2 tsp salt”

In project management, tailoring means adjusting your approach to fit YOUR specific project.

Why Tailor?

No two projects are the same!

Consider:

• 🏢 Organization culture
• 👥 Team experience
• 📊 Project complexity
• ⚠️ Risk level
• 📜 Regulatory requirements

What Can You Tailor?

graph TD
    A[Tailoring Options] --> B[Life Cycle]
    A --> C[Processes]
    A --> D[Tools]
    A --> E[Documentation]
    A --> F[Meetings]

Tailoring Examples

Small Internal Project:

• Skip formal change control
• Reduce documentation
• Daily standups instead of status reports

Large Regulated Project:

• Full change control board
• Extensive documentation
• Formal reviews and sign-offs

Startup vs. Bank:

Tailoring Process

1. Understand your project – Size, risk, complexity
2. Know your organization – Culture, rules, preferences
3. Select the approach – Predictive, Adaptive, or Hybrid
4. Adjust the details – Processes, tools, ceremonies
5. Document why – Explain your tailoring decisions

💡 Key Insight: Tailoring isn’t about doing less work. It’s about doing the RIGHT work for YOUR project!

🎓 Key Takeaways

The Three Approaches

1. Predictive = Plan everything first, then execute
2. Adaptive = Build, learn, adjust, repeat
3. Hybrid = Use both where each makes sense

Remember

• There’s no “best” approach – only the right fit
• Tailoring makes any approach work for your specific needs
• Great project managers are flexible and choose wisely

The Golden Rule

🌟 Match your approach to your project, not the other way around!

🧠 Quick Memory Tricks

Predictive = Planned (everything decided first)

Adaptive = Adjustable (change is welcome)

Hybrid = Half and half (best of both)

Tailoring = Tweaking (customize for your needs)

🚀 You’ve Got This!

Development approaches aren’t complicated – they’re just different ways to organize work:

• Some projects need a detailed map before starting
• Some projects need freedom to explore
• Most projects need a bit of both

The key is understanding YOUR project and choosing what fits best.

Congratulations! You now understand the foundation of how projects are organized and managed. This knowledge will help you work better on ANY project, whether you’re leading it or just part of the team.

Now go build something amazing! 🎯