What Should You Do First When Starting a Project?

News 2025년 5월 17일

When starting a new project, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Deadlines are looming, tasks are piling up, and there’s pressure to get things moving fast. But no matter how urgent everything feels, there’s one thing you should always do first—and that’s risk analysis.

Why Risk Analysis Comes First

At the beginning of a project, we’re usually full of ideas and excitement. It’s tempting to dive right in, especially when you’re confident in your skills. But before you start building or designing anything, take a moment to step back and ask yourself:

“What parts of this project might be a problem for me?”

It’s not about doubting yourself. It’s about being honest with your limitations. Every freelancer or team has things they’re not good at, or just don’t know well enough yet. That’s normal. The key is to identify those things as early as possible.

Make a list of anything that seems risky—whether it’s something you don’t know how to do yet, something you’ve never tried before, or something that just feels uncertain.

Don’t Hide the Risks—Talk About Them

Once you’ve listed out the potential risks, the next step is figuring out how to deal with them. Can you solve them yourself? Do you need to bring in help? Is there a workaround?

And here’s the big one:

If there’s something you absolutely can’t handle or you’re unsure about, don’t wait—tell your client right away.

This is where a lot of people hesitate. Maybe it feels awkward, or you’re worried the client will be disappointed. Maybe you’re thinking, “Let me just try a bit more—I might figure it out.” Or even, “I’ll tell them later if it really becomes a problem.”

But trust me on this:

The longer you wait, the worse it gets.

If you delay telling your client about a major issue, you’re not just risking delays—you’re risking their trust. From their point of view, the later you bring it up, the more it looks like you were hiding it. And nobody likes surprises when it comes to their project.

If it’s something you’re going to have to talk about anyway, the sooner, the better.

Honesty Builds Trust

Clients don’t expect you to be perfect. What they do expect is good communication. They want to work with someone who’s honest about what they can and can’t do, and who keeps them in the loop when problems come up.

Saying something like:

- “I’m not confident in this part, I might need help.”

- “This is outside of my usual scope, can we discuss options?”

…is way better than pretending everything’s fine—only to run into major problems later. In fact, being upfront shows maturity and professionalism. And most of the time, clients will appreciate your transparency.

So, To Sum It Up:

1. Start every project by identifying potential risks.
What can’t you do (yet)? What might cause delays or issues?

2. Make a clear list of those risks.
It helps you stay organized and lets you figure out priorities.

3. Don’t keep risks to yourself—communicate!
Especially if something feels like a big blocker, tell your client early.

Honesty = trust.
Trying to hide problems almost always backfires. Being real about challenges earns respect.

No project is 100% smooth sailing, and that’s totally okay. But how you handle bumps along the way makes all the difference.

Next time you kick off a project, don’t rush to code or design right away. Pause. Think. And check your risks first. That one step can save you a lot of stress down the road.