This was originally posted 3 years ago. Opinions, facts and reality may have changed.
Before starting any project, I perform what I call a “basic Kipling”.
Nothing to do with cakes but a poem by the ‘Jungle Book’ author Rudyard Kipling: “I keep six honest serving men, they taught me all I knew; Their names are What and Why and When And How And Where and Who.”
What are you producing? Why are you producing it? When does it need to be ready/launched? How will it be promoted? Where should it be seen? Who is it aimed at?
Each “serving man” should provide a variety of questions. And they all need answering before a single crayon is picked up or a line of text written.
It ensures that when you “do”, your direction of travel is the right one. And, trust me, every minute spent focusing on the reasoning will save an hour on the execution.