The Real Reason Project Requirements Keep Changing
Project managers often inherit “impossible” projects shaped by early product decisions. In this episode, Cornelius Fichtner and Lee Fischman
explore how product thinking drives priorities, success criteria, and flexibility when reality shifts. They highlight the disconnect between product managers (what to deliver) and project managers (how to deliver), and how shifting assumptions create ongoing requirement changes.
Key takeaways: use pre‑mortems, work backward from outcomes, treat plans as experiments, and make assumptions visible. Lee stresses communication habits such as writing to clarify, deliberate meetings, and surfacing bias—to prevent rigid plans and failing paths. The discussion closes with practical guidance on
humility, leadership, and creating environments where learning influences outcomes early.
*Eligible for 0.75 Ways of Working PDU
