Can You Spot a Good Project When You See One?
Choosing the right project is a lot like dating. You’re looking for something that excites you, doesn’t drain all your resources, and leaves you feeling better after than when you started.
But let’s be honest—when I’ve got my sales hat on, I sometimes chase everything in sight. That old scarcity mindset can creep in fast, and I end up saying yes to things I shouldn’t.
To counter that, Peter and I created a simple tool we now use to assess every new opportunity:
The New Project Scorecard
It helps us step back, get objective, and decide if a project is truly worth pursuing.
The 8 Criteria We Use to Score a Project
Rate each one from 1 to 5 (5 being excellent). A perfect project scores 40.
- Profit
Will this project bring in strong profit relative to the work required? - Timeline
Do we have enough time to do this well, given our current commitments? - Resources
Will this make good use of our team and tools without draining us? Will the team want to work on it? - Marketing Value
Could this project lead to future work or attract new clients? - Size
Is this a big, juicy project that helps with long-term planning and offers less overhead per dollar? - Confidence
Can we confidently deliver this? Do we have the expertise and experience? What makes us sure? - Education (Thanks to Eric for this one)
Will this project help us grow—skills, tools, perspective? Is that growth valuable short-term or long-term? - Vision & Alignment
Do we believe in the client’s mission? Do we like working with them? Will we genuinely help them succeed?
Once you’ve scored a project, use the total to guide your decision—especially during the proposal and negotiation phase. A strong negotiation can often raise the score significantly by improving scope, timeline, or budget.
Bonus: Score it after completion, too.
We’re starting a new habit—revisiting the score after the project ends to see how accurate our initial assessment was. It’s a great way to improve your instincts over time and sharpen your decision-making for the future.
If you have other criteria you use to vet projects, we’d love to hear them—drop them in the comments. We’re always refining our approach.