The Invisible Flaw: What Really Breaks Software Projects
- kommit
- Sep 18
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 minute ago
When we talk about building new software, conversations almost always begin with technology: Which framework should we choose?
What skills do we need on the team? What features will set us apart?
While these are critical, there's an often-overlooked foundation that truly dictates a project's fate: how clearly and thoroughly you define what you're building. This often-overlooked blueprint is known as Requirements Engineering.
Too often, requirements engineering is dismissed as a mountain of paperwork. It's seen as something to ‘get through’ so development can start.
But when this foundation isn't meticulously laid from the very beginning, even the most talented team can find themselves fighting costly fires: missed deadlines, budget overruns, and ultimately, a product that simply fails to deliver its intended value.
Think of Software Projects Like Building a Skyscraper
You can stockpile the best materials and hire the most skilled builders. But if the blueprint is incomplete or poorly designed, the structure will fail—not because the workers lacked skill, but because the plan they followed was flawed from the start.
Software is no different. Your code is only as stable as the requirements blueprint it’s built on.
And the numbers back it up.
Recent industry research shows this isn’t just a theory—it’s a pattern. 39% of failed initiatives traced their troubles to poor or incomplete requirements gathering. In other words, almost half of the projects that went off track did so not because of weak technology or lack of talent, but because the initial blueprint—the definition of what to build—was never solid.
Requirements Engineering: Turning Business Vision Into a Buildable Plan
Given how often projects stumble due to unclear blueprints, it’s worth pausing to ask: what exactly is Requirements Engineering?
In plain terms, Requirements Engineering (RE) is the discipline of turning a business idea into a reliable plan for the people who will build it.
What it Covers
More Than Just Paperwork: Why Requirements Engineering Drives Success
Start by defining what you're building—and why it matters. This is the "problem and solution" side.
This is where you identify the real business pain and describe how the system will solve it.
Without this clarity, teams risk building features that look good on paper but miss the real target.
Next, clarify how you’ll build it—this is your execution guide.
Here you specify constraints, priorities, and success criteria so engineers can translate the vision into working code.
Think of it as the architect’s drawings and construction notes combined.
When done well, RE becomes a bridge between vision and execution.
It gives leaders confidence that the right problem is being solved—and gives engineering teams a roadmap solid enough to adapt when reality inevitably changes.
Is Your Project's Blueprint Solid? Five Essential Traits to Check
Want to know if your project’s blueprint will hold up when the pressure hits?
Use this quick self-check—if you can tick off each point, your requirements are on solid ground.
1. Unambiguous
Every stakeholder can read a requirement and interpret it the same way.
If two people could reasonably disagree on what it means, it needs revision.
2. Complete
The requirements cover all essential business needs—no hidden assumptions, no critical gaps.
Each one ties directly to a real user or business goal.
3. Prioritized
You know which items are must-haves, nice-to-haves, and can-waits.
Trade-offs have been discussed and agreed upon before development starts.
4. Verifiable
Each requirement includes measurable acceptance criteria and is connected to design, code, and tests so you can prove it’s delivered.
5. Adaptable to Change
The process anticipates that business needs will evolve and allows for controlled adaptation.
These challenges aren’t edge cases; they’re the recurring friction points documented in both academic studies and real-world projects.
Recognizing them is the first step toward building the kind of blueprint that keeps complex software projects on schedule and on target.
Proven Practices to Strengthen Your Requirements
Strong requirements need more than just discipline. They require practices that align teams and shorten the distance between idea and execution.
Here are key practices that make the difference:
1. Establish Clarity from the Start
Discovery workshops: Bring all key stakeholders together early to align on goals, constraints, and success criteria.
Shared language: Create a simple glossary of business and technical terms so everyone speaks the same “requirements language.”
2. Design for Change
Iterative requirements: Treat requirements as living artifacts, updated and prioritized at each sprint or milestone.
Lightweight prioritization frameworks: Use methods like MoSCoW to decide what must be built now, what can wait, and what can be dropped.
3. Document Requirements
User stories and acceptance criteria: Describe system behavior in clear, testable terms.
Decision log: Record why key choices were made to avoid repeating old debates when priorities shift.
4. Shorten Feedback Loops
Rapid prototypes or mock-ups: Validate concepts with users or stakeholders before full-scale development.
Regular checkpoints: Schedule reviews at predictable intervals to confirm that requirements still match evolving business needs.
5. Build Domain Knowledge
Knowledge transfer sessions: Encourage business experts and engineers to exchange context—process flows, pain points, constraints.
Bridge roles: Product Owners or business analysts can translate between business objectives and technical implementation.
Strong Requirements Engineering requires more than diligence—it demands sharp attention to detail, domain expertise, and clear communication to bridge vision and execution.
Done right, it’s not just a safeguard against project failure—it’s the foundation for real innovation and software that delivers lasting business value.
At Kommit, we help teams create blueprints that keep projects on track and ensure technology investments deliver measurable results.
If you’re planning your next software initiative, let’s talk about getting your requirements right from day one.
Written by: kommit
BetaBreakers. Software Survival in 2024: Understanding 2023 Project Failure Statistics and the Role of Quality Assurance. BetaBreakers, 2024.
Tukur, Umar, Hassine. Requirement Engineering Challenges: A Systematic Literature Review. 2021.
