Why Small Projects Outperform Big Ones

It’s a well-documented phenomenon: small projects are more likely to succeed than large ones. A 2018 Standish Group report found that small software projects succeed four times more often than large ones.

But why is that the case? More importantly, what can planners and decision-makers learn from the success of small projects to improve the outcomes of large-scale initiatives?

Why Small Projects Succeed

Before we explore how to improve large projects, it’s important to understand what makes small projects more successful. It comes down to several key factors:

• Manageability: Fewer moving parts, stakeholders, and dependencies make small projects easier to plan, execute, and control.

• Faster Feedback Loops: Small teams can deliver quickly, test ideas early, and correct course before problems escalate.

• Improved Communication: Smaller teams mean fewer communication breakdowns and faster decision-making.

• Clearer Scope: Objectives tend to be focused and well-defined, reducing ambiguity.

• Resource Efficiency: Fewer people, lower costs, and less infrastructure reduce the risk of waste.

• Stakeholder Alignment: With fewer stakeholders, it’s easier to maintain alignment and shared expectations.

• Adaptability: Small projects allow teams to pivot quickly in response to new insights or changing priorities.

• Motivation and Ownership: Teams working on smaller efforts often feel more ownership, as goals are more visible and achievable.

Even when small projects do fail, their impact is usually minimal, and the lessons learned can still offer value for future efforts.

The Secret? Break It Down.

This doesn’t mean organizations should avoid large projects altogether. Some initiatives naturally require large-scale efforts. Instead, the takeaway is this:

Approach large projects with a small-project mindset.

That means breaking big initiatives into smaller, focused, and manageable pieces to improve clarity, control, and delivery.

How to Apply the Small-Project Approach to Large Projects

1. Keep the project small—by design

Maintain a deliberate and consistent focus on minimizing project scope throughout its lifecycle. From planning and budgeting to development, testing, and deployment—ask at every phase:

“Which option helps keep this smaller and more focused?”

Break larger efforts into bite-sized pieces—narrow use cases, limit user stories, or scope out fewer features at a time. Smaller pieces reduce complexity and accelerate execution.

2. Prioritize ruthlessly—and often

Relentless prioritization is essential. Early discovery should define:

• Priority user groups

• Priority outcomes

• The minimal features needed to deliver those outcomes

Run discovery workshops with key stakeholders and expect priorities to evolve as you learn.

Focus detailed planning only on the current phase. Keeping your focus narrow enables clear deliverables and measurable outcomes. Plus, decisions about the next phase can then be based on real feedback—not assumptions.

Final Thoughts

The takeaway from small project success isn’t that large projects are doomed to fail—it’s that large projects need a different approach.

By breaking initiatives into smaller parts, staying ruthlessly focused on value, and maintaining strong stakeholder alignment, organizations can reduce risk, increase agility, and boost their odds of success.

Yes, large projects come with higher stakes. But with a small-project mindset applied consistently, they can also yield exponentially greater impact.