Death March

Definition

An intense, typically doomed project with impossible timelines, excessive scope, and exhausted teams. Called out by everyone as a bad idea; still happens to you.

Example Usage

The software rewrite is shaping up to be a death march with a 6-month timeline for what should take 18 months.

Origin

Project management terminology; popularized by Ed Yourdon's book 'Death March' (1997)

Fun Fact

A true death march averages 2 resignations per person, creating a mathematical impossibility

Source: Project management and software development terminology

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