Defeat the 10 Deadliest IT Project Killers — The Book

"In 20+ years of recovering failing IT projects, I have never once traced the root cause back to the technology. This book documents what I found instead — and what to do about it."

— Dr. Martin Moss

There are exactly 10 things that kill IT projects. Ten specific, named, recognizable dynamics — with early warning signs, documented causes, and proven solutions. That is what this book teaches.

Who It's For

This Book Is for You If…

You are managing an IT project right now

Something feels off but you cannot name exactly what it is. This book gives the patterns a name and a solution — and most project managers recognize at least two or three Killers in their current project before they finish Chapter 2.

You have been through a project that failed

You want to understand what actually happened — not the official post-mortem version. The 10 IT Project Killers will feel very familiar. The difference is that this time, you will know what to call them and what to do about them.

You want to prevent the next one

Before it starts. Before it builds. Before it becomes the kind of crisis that follows a career. The early warning signs are in this book. So is the framework for acting on them before it is too late.

Inside the Book

What the Book Covers

Why IT Projects Fail

Welcome to the IT project jungle. Why projects fail shockingly often — and why it is never about the technology alone. The invisible dynamics nobody talks about. The truth about success rates. And why standard methodologies — Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid — are necessary and valuable, but incomplete on their own when it comes to the human and organizational layer.

The 10 Deadliest IT Project Killers

The heart of the book. Every Killer examined in full: what it is, why it forms, how to recognize the symptoms early, how to decode the root cause, and exactly how to stop it. All 10, ranked by danger level — from The Puppet through to Uninspiring, the most destructive Killer of all.

The Success Formula for IT Projects

How the Killers interact and reinforce each other. The success recipe for management. How to build the kind of resilience that makes project failure genuinely difficult. And what willingness to change — the factor most project managers underestimate — actually looks like in practice.

All 10 Killers

Know Your Enemy — All 10 IT Project Killers

Ranked by danger level. Every one documented, named, and solved in the book.

1UninspiringHigh cost — career destroying

2No Way OutHigh cost — career destroying

3The Project AdministratorHigh cost — career destroying

4The MicromanagerMedium cost — serious risk

5The ScapegoatMedium cost — serious risk

6OverloadMedium cost — serious risk

7Win-Lose TrapLow cost — early awareness

8Incentive IllusionLow cost — early awareness

9Boiling Point Project ManagementLow cost — early awareness

10The PuppetLow cost — early awareness

High cost — career destroying Medium cost — serious risk Low cost — early awareness

The Companion Product

Already Read the eBook? Here's What Comes Next.

SPARK Method™

The Action Workbook

Your 30-day survival guide for the project you're in right now

The eBook shows you what's killing your IT project. The Action Workbook tells you what to do about it, this week — a 30-day guide for the live project you're already in, not a new one you're planning.

A field briefing on handling this knowledge safely
A gut check — which Killers are active right now
One environment-change move per Killer, per week
Your personal non-negotiables, in your own words

Download the Free White Paper → Already sure? Get the Workbook — $24.99 →

Choose Your Format

Every Format, Side by Side

Same book, five ways to read it. The Bundle is the most complete way to work through all 10 Killers — the eBook plus the Action Workbook that turns each chapter into exercises for your own project.

	eBook (PDF)	Action Workbook	Bundle Best Value	Kindle	Paperback
What it is	The full book, digital PDF	How to start on Monday	eBook (PDF) + Action Workbook	The full book, Kindle edition	The full book, printed
Bonus content (welcome audio + wallpaper)	✓ Yes	— No	✓ Yes	— No	— No
Delivery	Instant download	Instant download	Instant download	Kindle app / device	Printed, ships 3–5 days
Price	$14.99	$24.99	$34.99	$12.99	$17.99
	Get the eBook →	Get the Workbook →	Get the Bundle →	Buy on Amazon →	Buy on Amazon →

All digital formats are delivered instantly to your email after checkout. Kindle and Paperback editions are fulfilled by Amazon.

Dr. Martin Moss is an IT project crisis expert with 20+ years of hands-on recovery experience and a PhD in project management and organizational behavior. Through Project Dynamics, he created the SPARK Method™ — the framework built from two decades of being called into failing projects across industries, and this book is its foundation.

Read the full story →

Not Sure Yet?

Read a Chapter First — Free.

The chapter covering IT Project Killer #10 — The Puppet — is available as a free download. No payment required. Give your email address and it arrives in your inbox immediately.

Download the Free Chapter →

From $12.99. Everything You Need to See the Killers Coming.

The book. Every Killer. Every warning sign. Every solution. In the format that fits you.

See All 5 Formats & Prices → Read a Free Chapter First →