Chapter 10. Successful Software Project Proposals

“Don’t worry about people stealing an idea. If it’s original, you will have to ram it down their throats.”

—Howard Aiken (1900–1973)

One of the hallmarks of leadership in software is the ability to identify and successfully bring forward new technology ideas. It’s one of the few characteristics that unifies all leaders in the software business, whether their jobs find them on the technical track or the business executive track. All successful leaders have a share of winning project proposals under their belts. Nobody hits a homerun every time, but the best leaders have the best track records.