> If your deadline is fixed, be ready to scale back.
True. Honestly, what else can you do if a deadline is approaching than to cut scope? Even enforced death marches aren’t necessarily going to solve it...
You have the four knobs to turn. Resources ($, FTE), scope, deadline, quality. The dilemma typically is that the one calling the shots wants to fix three of them and does not accept the fourth knob has to be turned. Another is that close to a deadline the resources knob doesn't matter anymore unless the deadline knob is turned. And when the deadline knob is turned it makes the scope knob feeling very attractive suddenly to the same kind of people.
In such situations having people skills helps. You can say no in many ways but you have to try and understand their problems as well. That big conference, competitors having announced something recently, you name it.
True. Honestly, what else can you do if a deadline is approaching than to cut scope? Even enforced death marches aren’t necessarily going to solve it...