In this episode, Nova and Daniel discuss why large IT projects so often become later, more expensive, or harder than originally planned.

Daniel breaks the problem down into three root causes:

- mathematics: communication paths, Brooks' Law, and structurally unreliable estimates

- politics: underestimated business cases, sunk cost, and stakeholder interests that are never fully synchronized

- human behavior under complexity: blame games, unclear ownership, and agile theater

Takeaways for IT leaders:

- avoid major projects where manageable, iterative goals are possible

- if a major project is unavoidable, start with honest numbers from day one

- define ownership clearly, in writing, even when it feels uncomfortable

- measure success not only by budget, time, and scope ...