How Big Things Get Done

The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between

By: Bent Flyvbjerg, Dan Gardner

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

One of The Economist’s Best Books of 2023

The secrets to successfully planning and delivering ambitious, complex projects on any scale—from home renovation to space exploration—by the world's leading expert on megaprojects.

Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Think of how the Empire State Building went from a sketch to the jewel of New York's skyline in twenty-one months, or how Apple’s iPod went from a project with a single employee to a product launch in eleven months.

These are wonderful stories. But most of the time big visions turn into nightmares. Remember Boston’s “Big Dig”? Almost every sizeable city in the world has such a fiasco in its backyard. In fact, no less than 92% of megaprojects come in over budget or over schedule, or both. The cost of California’s high-speed rail project soared from $33 billion to $100 billon—and won’t even go where promised. More modest endeavors, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why?

Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed “the world’s leading megaproject expert.” In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors in judgment and decision-making that lead projects, both big and small, to fail, and the research-based principles that will make you succeed with yours. For example:

• Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win.
• Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong. 
• Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there.
• Find your Lego. Big is best built from small.
• Be a team maker. You won't succeed without an "us."
• Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can.
• Know that your biggest risk is you.

Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House, to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, to a home renovation in Brooklyn gone awry, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done—on time and on budget.

For a visual representation of the charts and graphs mentioned throughout, as well as Appendix A and B, please be sure to download the Bonus PDF accompanying this program.

Should be required reading

This should be required reading for all engineers especially in the civil infrastructure space.

Good story, lots of history

Overall, it is good but is missing the silver bullet. Planning, legos, but did not give me a new tool to apply.

Real life examples, data, stats, and references to useful information

Great real life examples help to really understand what can be done for even the smallest projects to increase chances of success. Threat book full of useful knowledge

Great Insights Helped Us Pivot on A Huge AI Sprint

How Big Things Get Done, written by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, is an engaging and insightful exploration of why major projects—buildings, technologies, corporate initiatives, public works, you name it—so often run over budget, over schedule, or off the rails entirely. The Audible edition brings the book’s ideas to life with clear, confident narration that suits the material well, and it’s smoother at about 1.1x speed, where the pacing feels natural and conversational without dragging.

Flyvbjerg draws on decades of research into “megaprojects,” but the authors present their findings in a way that feels more like storytelling than academic analysis. The book is filled with memorable real-world examples, from Pixar movies to the Sydney Opera House to software rollouts, and each example illustrates the same core principle: most projects fail because planners underestimate complexity, overestimate ability, and overlook the power of incremental learning. The authors unpack concepts such as “reference-class forecasting,” “planning fallacy,” and “thinking slow, acting fast” in everyday language, making sophisticated ideas feel accessible and immediately applicable.

One of the book’s strengths is its practicality. Rather than simply diagnosing why big things go wrong, it does a great job of explaining natural human bias and lays out a playbook for doing them better—start with small testable pieces, gather data before committing fully, plan with realistic comparisons, and avoid the all-too-common optimism traps. Whether you’re a manager, creative, entrepreneur, or simply curious about how bold visions become reality, there’s plenty here to reshape how you think about ambitious work.

Overall, the Audible edition of How Big Things Get Done is informative, energizing, and surprisingly fun—a smart guide to making big ideas succeed in the real world. It helped our small firm do a major pivot a few days ago in the first third of a 30-day sprint to establish a real presence and solid experience in the Artificial Intelligence extension of our business and our client's businesses. Kudos to the authors.

Review written with the aid of 2x AI helpers.

Fantastic book, cover to cover

Absolutely loved this one, cover to cover. Highly recommend, particularly for those in leadership roles or aspiring to join those ranks.