Don't underestimate the power of the “small, goofy projects”

An ad on LinkedIn recently caught my attention. It claimed that “life is too short for small, silly projects.” It should be a signal that one should focus on the big, strategic and visible initiatives — those that end up in boardrooms and annual reports. But for my part, it immediately aroused resistance. Not because large projects have no value, but because the statement completely overlooks the power of the small.

Because in an era where everyone is talking about digital transformation, innovation and scaling, many have forgotten where real improvements actually begin: on the floor, in everyday problems, in the employees who have to use the systems every single day. This is where the “small, goofy projects” show their true strength—as dooropeners to smarter work processes, higher productivity and better user experiences.

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Small initiatives, great value

In many businesses, it is easy to overlook the small frictions. A cumbersome form here. A dual data system there. A report that requires manual adjustment every week. It may seem insignificant — but the sum total of such annoyances eats away at efficiency, motivation and quality.

When a technologist or business-oriented developer takes the time to walk around and actually observe these obstacles, the magic occurs. Maybe they're building a little tool to simplify a reporting run. Maybe they're making an integration between two systems. Maybe they're automating an Excel sheet.

Small, targeted projects that basically only help one team or one department. But these solutions tend to proliferate. Colleagues hear about them. Managers notice the gain. Suddenly that little project you called “goofy” has become the start of a new way of working.

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Why Big Projects Often Fail

Many companies have learned that the big projects — the ones that were supposed to revolutionize the way you work — become expensive, slow and risky. The expectations are enormous, but the complexity makes them difficult to implement. It is not necessarily about bad management, but about the fact that you often lack the practical grounding.

The small projects, on the other hand, have some unique advantages:

• They are close to the users. The solutions are created by, with or for those who actually use the systems.
• They can be tested and adjusted quickly. You get instant feedback and can adapt along the way.
• They are low-risk. If it doesn't work, the loss is minimal -- but if it does, the effect can be huge.
• They build internal trust. People see that issues are taken seriously, and that creates ownership and a willingness to change.

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Innovation begins with action, not ambition

Often it's not the technical solutions that are the hardest -- it's the resistance to grabbing the small. One waits for “someone” to approve a major initiative, or for one to be given “a window” to do it properly. But why wait?

Good ideas don't always have to be big. They just need to be useful. And instead of planning for six months and implementing for two years, you can test in one week and improve along the way.

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Example from reality

A company I worked with had challenges with onboarding new employees. The process was spread across three different systems, and HR spent hours on manual tasks. Instead of going to the acquisition of a new HR system, a developer created a small tool that linked existing data and automated the sending of forms and access requests.

It took two weeks to develop, saving the organization over 100 man-hours a quarter. Not only did the process speed up — new employees also experienced a much more professional start. Was it a “goofy project”? Absolutely not.

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Conclusion: Small projects are not small thoughts

The “small, goofy projects” aren't just relevant -- they're necessary. This is where real needs are discovered. This is where you learn what actually works. And this is where you lay the foundation for something bigger.

Businesses that succeed in digital transformation are not necessarily those that start with a grand vision. They are the ones who dare to start small, experiment, adjust and grow from real needs -- not hypothetical aspirations.

Next time someone says “it's not worth it” -- ask: “Does that solve a problem?” If the answer is yes, it's worth it.

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