Speed might seem like the goal when executing on a new project, but speed for the sake of speed? Almost certainly not.

Moving quickly might allow you to gain market share and announce to the world that you mean business, but reckless forward motion can undermine your project and necessitate costly damage control.

A few well-placed steps forward at a brisk and sustainable pace might be better in the long run than a flat-out sprint. Alas, there’s no universal rubric for calibrating the appropriate rate of progress, but deciding at the outset how speed is defined on your project is certainly worthwhile.