The most important person in your project kick-off is never in the room.

✔️ The team, the sponsors, and the stakeholder are all there. Scope, goals, and timelines are aligned. 

❌ But the most critical voice is missing: the end-user. 

Not the internal client. Not the budget holder. But the person who really matters, whose life or work we are supposed to be improving.

👉 When the customer isn't represented from day one, we risk delivering a project that's on time, on budget, BUT isn't fit for purpose.

You need to have a Chief Customer Officer, and their job is to relentlessly ask: How does this help the person we're serving.

So, before you sign off on your next Project Business Case and Charter, ask yourself one key question:

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦?

⚠️ If it's not a clear yes, then the project shouldn't start.

Don't launch projects for the sake of it, make sure your project is solving a real problem.