Great engineering teams focus on milestones instead of projects

The case for why great engineering teams organize around milestones rather than projects. Milestones are 'one or three weeks of work' that deliver value each cycle and should be 'releasable in some way.' This approach provides incremental value delivery with constant streams of achievements and learning, better project design through 'vertical' rather than 'horizontal' engineering, improved team dynamics from steady meaningful work delivery, and easier estimation for shorter timeframes with more 'optionality' in planning. As the author notes, 'Milestones sit at just the right altitude that you can play with them' - they're flexible enough to adapt but concrete enough to drive progress. By focusing on small, valuable milestones, teams become more adaptive, transparent, and effective. This builds trust with stakeholders through steady value delivery while reducing the complexity of traditional project management.