There are many things that need to be done well to ensure project success, but these are some that have particularly impressed me as critical and easily forgotten.

1. Great concept and well designed UX

From a software development perspective:

• You can build really well a bad concept or poorly designed UX - but it will still be a failure 😞
• You can build really poorly a great concept and well designed UX - but it will still tend to be a success!

So for project success, and general happiness, ensure that you have a sound concept and do not skint on UX design. That includes requirements, UI and workflows.

2. Product owner engagement

If the product owner is not fully engaged, then the entire team will not be fully engaged and the project will flounder.

3. Have all roles covered

Preferably you will have all roles in a software development project covered by individuals who are expert and independent in that role.

If resources are limited, then individuals can potentially cover multiple roles. For example, the Product Owner can be responsible for Quality Assurance. But ensure that all the necessary roles are covered and everybody understands who exactly is responsible for what.