Purposeful projects
Key steps for purposeful projects
Clarity about the purpose
- A strong ‘why we deeply care about this with all our heart’
- The true underlying motivations and beliefs
- An intention that inspires us in difficult moments
- What is the essence and DNA of this creation?
The right team
- Coming together and being honest about each other’s ‘why’, motivation, and needs
- Align on values. Write together a Manifesto that guides decisions
Research
- What exists already? Are we needed and complementary to the existing forces? What is our specific role in the ecosystem
- Customer interviews: Really understand needs. Shadowing the target audience in their daily work. Develop deep insight. What is really the problem? Feel into the world of the target audience. Understand the user journey. Find use cases. Define 1-2 narrow core areas early and narrow MVP
The Model
- IOOI Model. Work backward from the vision and impact towards activities and inputs
- Dive into systems thinking to find leverage points and the combination of key activities
- Clarify the theory of change (Nesta template)
- Detail the activities within the IOOI, the required expertise and budget needs
- Identify collaborations and partnerships
Prototype
- Build to learn. Avoid going down an avenue that isn’t helpful
- Test the activities and offerings early, in a simple form
- Start with the (digital) protoype early. E.g. SquareSpace
- Bundle the energy in the team around the prototype. Build together instead of repeated vague discussions
- Use the prototype to communicate effectively with stakeholders
Governance
- Get the governance and organisational setup right for the long-term
- Find a suitable organisational form such as purpose/steward ownership or association
- Clarify statutes, roles and initial agreements with service providers
Fruitful, deep co-creation
- Unleash full potential and creative energy in the team
- Spend working time together. The team room feeling contributes to the team spirit and the emergence of new ideas and possibilities. Shared moments and experiences connect deeply
- Deep Work: Work full days on the project rather than fragmented hours here and there. E.g every Friday in the team room together on this project
- Rituals and moments of joy
Project management
- Communication: Re-usable and clear communication materials, slides or website for stakeholders. Use ‘rich’ immersive user-friendly formats like video > text
- Tools: Project management tools like Monday, Miro for visual evolution and knowledge management
- Metrics: Track the quotes, the progress. Understand what matters
Essentialism
- Less but better. Keep it simple and focused on the essential as the project evolves
- Build from a strong core. Start with a narrow strong core offering. Build on fans and superusers’ word of mouth rather than going broad quickly