1.1. What's So Special About Projects?

Projects come in all shapes and sizes, from learning how to set the date and time on a digital watch to designing and building a timepiece so powerful that you need a PhD to operate it. Likewise, your child's birthday party is a project, although the scale is smaller than coordinating the inauguration of a new President of the United States.

What's the common thread that unites all projects and makes them different from other kinds of work? Here's one definition: A project is a unique endeavor with clear-cut objectives, a starting point, an ending point, and, usually, a budget.