When Good Projects Go Wrong (And Why It Was Also My Fault)

It started well. Friendly client, interesting idea, a lot of energy. We signed a small deal. They’d handle the definition. We’d build it. Simple, right?

1. They wrote the specs. We built it.

They were in charge of the product definition. It sounded efficient. But it wasn’t. There were gaps, grey areas, and shifting decisions. We tried to keep up.

2. I agreed to too much, too fast

We had a tight budget, junior developers, and unclear priorities. I knew it wasn’t ideal — but I said yes. I didn’t want to lose the project. That was mistake one.

3. They managed the team. And judged it.

The client started giving direct feedback to developers. We lost control of process. They were both doing the work and evaluating it. Chaos started showing up in WhatsApp.

4. It broke down. And no one won.

The project dragged. The team burned out. They paid 30%. Then they shut the company. Changed the legal address. I couldn’t chase the debt. We lost money. They lost the product.

5. The part that was my fault

I didn’t set limits. I didn’t ask for clarity early. I went with good vibes instead of process. I didn’t charge what the work really required. I learned the hard way that clarity isn’t optional — it’s protection.