Milestones aren't just a reporting tool for the publisher or a pressure tool.

They're points of record for the project's actual progress.

A milestone is the answer to the question "what the project has on hand at a specific point," not "what is planned someday."

Why milestones are important:

1) To separate progress from activity; you can be constantly busy without moving the project forward.

2) Milestones show the finished result of a particular aspect, not the process of its creation.

3) This is necessary to reduce uncertainty.

They allow:

1) To realistically assess the project's stage;

2) To understand where the project really stands at the current moment;

3) To simplify communication between the publisher.

Milestones create a common language between the developer, the publisher, and any external participants.

What should milestones be?

A good milestone:

- specific — you can demonstrate the result;

- verifiable — it's clear whether it's been achieved;

- limited in scope — not "the whole game," but a clear cut;

- proportionate to the team — overestimating your own abilities.

A bad milestone:

- "refining the mechanics";

- "improving the visuals";

- "making the game better."

Typical mistakes:

1) Setting milestones as deadlines, not as outcomes.

2) Making them too large and abstract.

3) Using milestones as a pressure tool, not a benchmark.

4) Ignoring a failed milestone instead of analyzing the causes.

A failed milestone is a signal, not a disaster.

How a publisher views milestones.

For a publisher, milestones are:

- a way to understand the viability of a project;

- a decision-making tool;

- a foundation for trust.

Important:

A publisher isn't interested in perfection. They're interested in the team's dynamics and ability to complete milestones.

Key:

Milestones are not for control, but for clarity.

A project without milestones is a project without support, which risks being destroyed even if everything seems clear during the process and functional on paper.

Better to honestly fail a milestone followed by revisions than to pretend to be making constant progress.