How Big Things Get Done

Best Books of 2023 in The Financial Times Longlisted for Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year 2023 'Important, timely, instructive and entertaining' - Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow 'Entertaining . . . compelling . . . there are lessons here for managers of all stripes' - The Economist Megaproject expert Bent Flyvbjerg and bestselling author Dan Gardner reveal the secrets to successfully planning and delivering ambitious projects on any scale. Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant new reality. Think of how Apple's iPod went from a project with a single employee to an enormously successful product launch in eleven months. But such successes are the exception. Consider how London's Crossrail project delivered five years late and billions over budget. More modest endeavours, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life's work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed: - Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win. - Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong. - Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. - Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. - Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House to the making of Pixar blockbusters, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done - on time and on budget.

Best Books of the Year – The Financial Times and The Economist Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award World expert Bent Flyvbjerg and bestselling author Dan Gardner reveal the secrets to successfully planning and delivering ambitious projects on any scale. ‘Important, timely, instructive and entertaining’ – Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant new reality. Think of how Apple’s iPod went from a project with a single employee to an enormously successful product launch in eleven months. But such successes are the exception. Consider how London’s Crossrail project delivered five years late and billions over budget. More modest endeavours, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. In How Big Things Get Done , he identifies the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed: Understand your odds. If you don’t know them, you won’t win. Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it’s wrong. Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can’t, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done – on time and on budget. 'Entertaining . . . compelling . . . there are lessons here for managers of all stripes' – The Economist 'My only complaint about this book is that it wasn’t written earlier' – Ola Rosling, bestselling co-author of Factfulness

Best Books of the Year – The Financial Times and The Economist Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award World expert Bent Flyvbjerg and bestselling author Dan Gardner reveal the secrets to successfully planning and delivering ambitious projects on any scale. ‘Important, timely, instructive and entertaining’ – Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant new reality. Think of how Apple’s iPod went from a project with a single employee to an enormously successful product launch in eleven months. But such successes are the exception. Consider how London’s Crossrail project delivered five years late and billions over budget. More modest endeavours, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. In How Big Things Get Done , he identifies the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed: Understand your odds. If you don’t know them, you won’t win. Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it’s wrong. Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can’t, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done – on time and on budget. 'Entertaining . . . compelling . . . there are lessons here for managers of all stripes' – The Economist 'My only complaint about this book is that it wasn’t written earlier' – Ola Rosling, bestselling co-author of Factfulness

Megaprojektexperte Bent Flyvbjerg und Bestsellerautor Dan Gardner verraten die Geheimnisse erfolgreicher Planung und Umsetzung ambitionierter Projekte jeder Größenordnung. Der Bau- / Architektur- / Stadtplanungs- / Projektmanagement- / Renovierungs-Bestseller erstmals auf deutsch! »Wichtig, zeitgemäß, lehrreich und unterhaltsam. Was könnten Sie mehr verlangen?« - Daniel Kahneman Nichts ist inspirierender als eine große Vision, die zur triumphalen Realität wird. Apples iPod etwa entwickelte sich in elf Monaten von einem Projekt mit nur einem Mitarbeiter zu einem enorm erfolgreichen Produktlaunch. Aber solche Erfolge sind die Ausnahme: Man denke an Stuttgart 21, den Berliner Flughafen und die Elbphilharmonie. Aber auch bescheidenere Unternehmungen scheitern häufig, sei es die Gründung eines kleinen Unternehmens, die Organisation einer Konferenz oder einfach nur die rechtzeitige Fertigstellung eines Arbeitsprojekts. Warum? »Nachdem ich die Eigenschaften von Planungsfehlern untersucht habe, bin ich zuversichtlich, dass niemand das Thema breiter und tiefer studiert hat als Bent Flyvbjerg. Sein Fokus reicht von Olympischen Spielen bis zur Renovierung Ihrer Hundehütte.« - Nassim Nicholas Taleb Oxford-Professor Bent Flyvbjerg identifiziert die Fehler, die dazu führen, dass Projekte scheitern und zeigt die Prinzipien auf, die den Erfolg eines Projektes sicherstellen: Verstehen Sie Ihre Chancen. Wenn Sie sie nicht kennen, werden Sie nicht gewinnen. Planen Sie langsam, handeln Sie schnell. Schnell ins Handeln zu kommen, fühlt sich richtig an. Aber es ist falsch. Denken Sie von rechts nach links. Beginnen Sie mit Ihrem Ziel und identifizieren Sie dann die Schritte, um dorthin zu gelangen. Finden Sie Ihr Lego. Großes wird am besten aus Kleinem gebaut. Beherrschen Sie die unbekannten Unbekannten. Viele glauben, das geht nicht, daher scheitern sie. Flyvbjerg zeigt, wie es funktioniert. Voll von anschaulichen Beispielen, von der Erbauung der Oper in Sydney bis hin zur Produktion von Pixar-Blockbustern, von der Hochzeitsplanung zur Küchenrenovierung, deckt How Big Things Get Done auf, wie man jedes ambitionierte Projekt erledigt - pünktlich und im Budget. »Dass der Zeitplan und das Budget überschritten werden, ist eine unvermeidliche Tatsache. Inkompetenz und Betrug sind empörend. Doch mit diesem hervorragenden datengetriebenen Buch hat Bent Flyvbjerg gezeigt, dass es einen anderen Weg gibt.« - Frank Gehry

"Why do big projects go wrong so often, and are there any lessons you can use when renovating your kitchen? Bent Flyvbjerg is the 'megaproject' expert and Dan Gardner brings the storytelling skills to How Big Things Get Done , with examples ranging from a Jimi Hendrix studio to the Sydney Opera House."-- Financial Times (Best Books of 2023 So Far) "Entertaining . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes."-- The Economist Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Think of how the Empire State Building went from a sketch to the jewel of New York's skyline in twenty-one months, or how Apple's iPod went from a project with a single employee to a product launch in eleven months. These are wonderful stories. But most of the time big visions turn into nightmares. Remember Boston's "Big Dig"? Almost every sizeable city in the world has such a fiasco in its backyard. In fact, no less than 92% of megaprojects come in over budget or over schedule, or both. The cost of California's high-speed rail project soared from $33 billion to $100 billon--and won't even go where promised. More modest endeavors, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life's work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed "the world's leading megaproject expert." In How Big Things Get Done , he identifies the errors in judgment and decision-making that lead projects, both big and small, to fail, and the research-based principles that will make you succeed with yours. For example: - Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win. - Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong. - Think right to left . Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. - Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. - Be a team maker. You won't succeed without an "us." - Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. - Know that your biggest risk is you. Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House, to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, to a home renovation in Brooklyn gone awry, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done--on time and on budget.

"Why do big projects go wrong so often, and are there any lessons you can use when renovating your kitchen? Bent Flyvbjerg is the 'megaproject' expert and Dan Gardner brings the storytelling skills to How Big Things Get Done , with examples ranging from a Jimi Hendrix studio to the Sydney Opera House."-- Financial Times (Best Books of 2023 So Far) "Entertaining . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes."-- The Economist Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Think of how the Empire State Building went from a sketch to the jewel of New York's skyline in twenty-one months, or how Apple's iPod went from a project with a single employee to a product launch in eleven months. These are wonderful stories. But most of the time big visions turn into nightmares. Remember Boston's "Big Dig"? Almost every sizeable city in the world has such a fiasco in its backyard. In fact, no less than 92% of megaprojects come in over budget or over schedule, or both. The cost of California's high-speed rail project soared from $33 billion to $100 billon--and won't even go where promised. More modest endeavors, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why? Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life's work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed "the world's leading megaproject expert." In How Big Things Get Done , he identifies the errors in judgment and decision-making that lead projects, both big and small, to fail, and the research-based principles that will make you succeed with yours. For example: - Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win. - Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong. - Think right to left . Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. - Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. - Be a team maker. You won't succeed without an "us." - Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. - Know that your biggest risk is you. Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House, to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, to a home renovation in Brooklyn gone awry, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done--on time and on budget.