DECISION MAKING
Stop Starting Projects: 7 Questions to Ask Before Approving Any New Initiative
Most organizations don't have an idea problem. They have a stopping problem. Seven questions reveal whether an initiative deserves resources at all.
Challengine · 23 September 2026 · 5 min read
Most organizations don't have an idea problem.
They have a stopping problem.
New projects are surprisingly easy to start. Someone identifies an opportunity, creates a presentation, gets initial support and suddenly resources are being allocated.
The harder question is:
Should this initiative exist at all?
Before approving the next project, investment or development initiative, ask these seven questions.
1.What problem are we actually solving?
“We need a new system” is not a problem.
Neither is “we should use AI”.
The real problem might be slow order processing, poor forecasting accuracy or hundreds of hours spent on manual reporting.
Start with the problem, not the proposed solution.
2.What happens if we do nothing?
Every initiative competes with other opportunities.
Understanding the cost of doing nothing helps reveal urgency.
If nothing meaningful happens when the initiative is delayed by six months, it may not deserve immediate priority.
3.What measurable value should this create?
Value does not always mean direct revenue.
It can mean cost savings, increased capacity, reduced risk, faster processes or improved customer retention.
But it should be measurable.
| Question | Weak answer | Stronger answer |
|---|---|---|
| What problem? | “The process is inefficient.” | “The process requires 1,500 manual hours annually.” |
| What value? | “It will save time.” | “We expect to reduce manual work by 40%.” |
| Who owns it? | “Operations.” | “Head of Operations.” |
| Success? | “Users like it.” | “Processing time falls from 3 days to 1.” |
The more specific the answers become, the easier the decision becomes.
4.Which assumptions does the business case depend on?
Every business case contains assumptions.
The problem is that they are often hidden.
For example:
“This project will save €300,000 per year.”
That number may depend on 80% adoption, specific transaction volumes and a particular implementation timeline.
If those assumptions change, the business case changes.
Make them visible before making the decision.
5.Who owns the outcome?
Someone managing the project is not the same as someone owning the result.
A project manager can deliver a new system on time.
But who owns the promised productivity improvement six months later?
Every initiative needs a clear business owner who is accountable for the outcome, not only the delivery.
6.What could stop this from succeeding?
A financially attractive project can still be a bad investment.
Dependencies might include:
- unavailable data
- integration complexity
- regulatory requirements
- limited internal capacity
- low user adoption
- another project that must happen first
This is why ROI should never be evaluated without risk and execution readiness.
7.What evidence would make us say no?
This may be the most important question.
Teams naturally look for evidence supporting their ideas. Strong decision-making also defines what would invalidate them.
For example:
- If expected annual savings fall below €100,000, we stop.
- If implementation requires more than 12 months, we reassess.
- If required data quality cannot be achieved, we do not proceed.
Clear decision criteria prevent weak initiatives from surviving simply because people have already invested time in them.
Better projects start with better decisions
The objective is not to make project approval harder.
It is to make the decision clearer.
A strong initiative should have a defined problem, measurable value, visible assumptions, clear ownership and realistic execution conditions.
If those things are missing, another workshop probably isn't the answer.
The initiative simply isn't decision-ready yet.