Why do software projects fail? Technology is innocent, communication is key

When it is said unsuccessful IT project, most people imagine a crashed server, a poorly chosen database, or an inept programmer who wrote leaky code. But reality is often more prosaic. In our experience (and global statistics also confirm this), most projects do not fail on technology. Python, React or cloud infrastructure work exactly as they are supposed to. Projects most often run into a much less predictable element: people and their interaction with each other.

Software development is not buying rolls where you pay at the checkout and walk away with the finished product. It is more of a tailor-made house construction. And as with building a house, if the investor stops answering the architect's phones or comes to see the construction site as soon as the keys are handed over, the outcome is likely to be embarrassing. A successful application does not arise in the bubble of a developer agency, but in a constant dialogue between us and you.

Silent client

One of the most common red flags of projects is when the client “disappears” after signing the contract. It feels like the assignment has been passed, the advance paid, and now it's the developers' turn. Agile development requires feedback. If you ask us for your opinion, we need your input regularly. And after a month of silence, it often turns out that the project has gone in a direction that makes technical sense, but misses the goal in business terms.

We don't have time to test

This is the sentence that will reliably light up the warning light at any project manager. Yes, we are testing. We have automated tests, unit tests and dedicated QA testers looking for technical errors. Client-side testing (so called. UAT — User Acceptance Testing) is not about finding errors in the code, but about verifying that the application actually works with your ergonomics. You will use the app on a daily basis.

It often happens that the client postpones testing for time reasons. “I'll look at it over the weekend,” Weeks says, while development continues. Then launch day comes and suddenly there's panic: “But we didn't mean it like that, this button is supposed to do something else and it's not green! “These comments should have come a month ago. Correcting the logic of the application at the finished product stage is many times more expensive and stressful than debugging it continuously.

Don't be afraid to say NO

Another purely human factor is the inability to say 'no' or 'leave it for later'. We often start building MVP (minimum viable product), but over the course of client development they invade more and more great features. “Add this box there” and “that might flash”. If these ideas are not followed, the project swells, deadlines shift and the budget bleeds. That's why our projectionist is here to tell you that now is not the right time for blinking. Likewise, you have every right to say “font modification will wait after release”.

Technologies today are advanced and can handle almost anything. Paradoxically, the hardest part of software development is the soft part — discipline, communication, and willingness to invest time in continuous review. If you're looking for a development partner, don't just look for someone who can write code. Look for someone who will not leave you alone in development and who will force you to find that time not only for testing.