When Software Projects Go Off the Rails: Insights from a Project Rescue veteran

If you’ve ever worked on a software project that felt like it was spiraling out of control, you’re not alone. 2/3 of digital product development efforts fail… so how do you become that 1 in 3? Product failures and development missteps are all too common… but the good news? They don’t have to be. In a recent episode of ENO8 Answers, we caught up with Craig Mertens, one of our Solutions Architects, to explore what often goes wrong in product development and how teams can get things back on track. When software projects go off the rails… what comes next?

Craig has spent years guiding organizations — from scrappy startups to massive enterprises — through the ups and downs of building great software. And according to him, the biggest challenges aren’t usually about the tech itself.

The Real Culprit When Software Projects Go Off the Rails? Governance

“It’s rarely the technology that becomes the primary risk,” Craig shared early in the conversation. “It’s the governance around it.” He pointed out that while teams often obsess over which programming language to use or what framework to implement, it’s the lack of clear scope, effective planning, and aligned priorities that derails projects faster than anything else.

One recurring theme Craig sees in underperforming projects is poor governance — or, as he put it, a failure to define and manage the “iron triangle” of scope, timeline, and budget. These elements are tightly interconnected, and when one isn’t clear or realistic, the whole project suffers.

Craig illustrated the problem with an all-too-familiar scenario: scope that only exists in someone’s head. “You’d be surprised how often scope isn’t properly defined — it’s just swirling around in the product owner’s mind,” he said. When developers don’t have a clear target, they’re bound to miss the mark. And too often, when that happens, fingers are pointed at the wrong place: the tech or the developers.

“People are quick to blame the technology or say it’s a developer problem, but most of the time, it’s neither. The real issue is that developers didn’t have a clear direction in the first place,” Craig said.

Getting scope out of someone’s head and into a clear, documented form is the first step. But governance goes deeper. It’s also about understanding constraints — whether it’s budget limitations, strict timelines, or non-negotiable requirements — and making intentional decisions around them.

When software projects go off the rails, you can almost always find a governance issue somewhere.

All the Goodies

Before we dive deeper, here’s the full video of my conversation with Craig. If you’re short on time, skip ahead for some of the most actionable insights, but the entire episode is packed with valuable advice for any team navigating the complexities of software product development.

What to Do When Product Development Projects Derail

Slowing Down to Speed Up

Craig likened the need for early planning to a concept from orbital mechanics: “If you slow down in orbit, you actually drop closer to the Earth and start going faster.” Governance, he said, works the same way. Taking time upfront to map out risks, assumptions, and requirements allows teams to build smarter and move faster down the line.

One area where this is especially critical? Data.

Data is also almost always involved when a software project goes off the rails.

“Data is often where things get messy,” Craig explained. “It’s the reification of the business’s understanding of the world — it’s how we translate the business’s view into something actionable.” He shared an example of a project where a team’s inconsistent handling of data caused cultural and operational breakdowns. By reassessing their approach, the organization uncovered inefficiencies that were costing hundreds of millions annually.

Finding Your Way Back

When a project veers off course, hitting the pause button can be a powerful first step. “Rarely is failure caused by one single issue,” Craig emphasized. “It’s about looking at the whole system — turning over every rock, checking every assumption, and identifying where things went wrong.”

For smaller teams, this often means taking inventory of who owns what. While larger organizations can rely on deep specialization, small teams need individuals who can wear multiple hats. “Even in a five-person team, you still need clear accountability for architecture, user experience, testing, and scope management,” Craig pointed out.

And when technical challenges arise, frequent “tech spikes” can help teams address risks without losing momentum. These small, focused experiments allow teams to validate ideas quickly and build on what works while discarding what doesn’t.

Parting Thoughts and Next Steps

If there’s one thing Craig left us with, it’s this: no project is beyond saving. The key is to stop, evaluate, and reset. Whether it’s redefining scope, reassessing risk, or reevaluating team dynamics, there’s always a path forward.

At ENO8, we specialize in turning struggling software projects around. Our Project Rescue offering is designed to identify the root causes of your challenges and create a customized plan to get your project back on track.

Whether you’re grappling with misaligned scope, missed deadlines, budget overruns, or technical hurdles, we can help you get back to building great software — and doing it effectively.

If your product team isn’t where you want it to be, or if your software project has hit a wall, reach out to us today. Let’s turn it around together.



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Jeff Francis

Jeff Francis is a veteran entrepreneur and founder of Dallas-based digital product studio ENO8. Jeff founded ENO8 to empower companies of all sizes to design, develop and deliver innovative, impactful digital products. With more than 18 years working with early-stage startups, Jeff has a passion for creating and growing new businesses from the ground up, and has honed a unique ability to assist companies with aligning their technology product initiatives with real business outcomes.

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