SlashNOT

Matthew writes: A new study of high profile failures of expensive software projects has definitively linked the name of the project with the probability of failure.

“The loftier the project name, the more likely it is to fail.” Says study lead Dr. Johan Grauss. “Cases in point: FBI’s “Carnivore” project that was to provide the ability to search through Internet traffic for signs of terrorism, Ford Motor Company’s “Everest” supply chain management software that was to standardize acquisitions across the company, and McDonald’s “Innovate” initiative to provide detailed control and reporting of all franchise operating parameters—All three of these initiatives failed and were cancelled after burning through hundreds of millions of development dollars.”

“We have positively correlated the loftiness of the name with a desire to sell upper management on nebulous and over-reaching project goals that will never meet the hyped up expectations created by the project’s proponents. To avoid these problems, we suggest giving your project more attainable names, such as ‘Herbivore’, ‘Death Valley’, and ‘Mimic’.”