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
No se pudo agregar al carrito
Solo puedes tener X títulos en el carrito para realizar el pago.
Add to Cart failed.
Por favor prueba de nuevo más tarde
Error al Agregar a Lista de Deseos.
Por favor prueba de nuevo más tarde
Error al eliminar de la lista de deseos.
Por favor prueba de nuevo más tarde
Error al añadir a tu biblioteca
Por favor intenta de nuevo
Error al seguir el podcast
Intenta nuevamente
Error al dejar de seguir el podcast
Intenta nuevamente
Obtén 30 días de Standard gratis
$8.99 al mes después de que termine la prueba. Cancela en cualquier momento
Compra ahora por $18.00
-
Narrado por:
-
Rob Shapiro
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.
Los oyentes también disfrutaron:
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
Las personas que vieron esto también vieron:
Should be required reading
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Good story, lots of history
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Real life examples, data, stats, and references to useful information
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
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.
Great Insights Helped Us Pivot on A Huge AI Sprint
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Fantastic book, cover to cover
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.