Any project you’ll be developing will require many steps until it happens even more so until it is finished.

Some start with experiments to see how it could unfold. Others start with a brainstorming session and deep reflections as to what the project is for and how it can unfold.

We all have different preferences and consequently will deal differently with a project as it evolves from an idea to an event in time.

What remains common to all in that process, is the need to switch between being “in” the project and “on” the project.

Starting a project with the visible doing is being “in” the project. It’s seeing how things work out, what reactions there are and how it feels to do it. This provides incredibly useful information as it allows to immediately uncover reactions and problems during the execution. For a lot of people, this is the more comfortable space as the feedback loop is so quick. It also allows being in the action which often creates visible results and thus feels more like progress, than any thinking might do.

But there is a step needed to be able to use the feedback and that’s the one of being “on” the project. It’s time spent evaluating what has been created and how it aligns with the initial idea or the planning of the project. It’s also the time spent thinking about the structure and design of the project. It’s the time spent to see where your market is, what they want from you and how you can align this with the project you want to run. It’s the work of making assertions and imagining how the project can be implemented to create the results you are looking for.

Working “in” the project is the step creating results

Working “on” the project is the step of seeing where you are and where you want to go to.

They can only happen one after the other. The better you are able to cycle from one to the other, the more visibility you’ll gain.