In the WiseScaling Framework, Projects are where diagnosed problems become concrete action. A project card is opened when you already know what needs to change and you need a plan, an owner, and a deadline to make it happen.

What is a Project?

A project is how we execute specific initiatives with a clear owner, defined scope, and a deadline. It's the "what we're doing about it" — the natural next step after an Analysis has named the problem and pointed to a direction.

Our guiding principle:

We don't open a project to figure out what the problem is. We open a project when we already know what we want to achieve.

When Do We Open a Project?

A project card is created when an analysis (or another clear signal) points to a concrete action that needs to be delivered. The project is linked back to the Analysis card through the Related decisions field.

Practical gut-check: When you can say "I know what I want to achieve, I need a plan, an owner, and a deadline" — that's the moment to open a project card.

Structure of a Project Card

Every project follows a standardized template:

• Problem definition — What problem are we solving and why does it matter? Which part of the strategic thesis does it support?
• What needs to be done / Intended effect — What does success look like? Define the result, not the activities.
• Scope & Milestones — What is inside scope, what is outside, and what are the checkpoints with dates?
• Definition of Done — Objective, observable, and measurable criteria for completion. No subjective language like "improved".
• Success metric — How do we measure that the project delivered its intended effect?
• Required resources — People, budget, tools, dependencies.
• Changelog — Short weekly notes to maintain transparency and track learning.

<aside> ⚠️

Important: The project card is not the place to diagnose the problem. If you're still figuring out why something is happening, go back to Analysis first.

</aside>

What Does NOT Belong Here?

• An observation from a conversation you want to remember, but don't yet know what to do with → goes to Portfolio Insights