At ISHIR, we’ve seen it too many times. A company calls us in to rescue a struggling software project. Product Engineering Leadership tells us their developers aren’t up to the task, that the team is failing to deliver what was promised. But when we take a closer look, the real problem is something else entirely.

It’s not that the developers lack skill or dedication. It’s that they haven’t been set up for success from the start.

The Real Problem: A Lack of Governance

When software development projects go off the rails, it’s often due to “poor governance”, not poor engineering. Governance is what ensures that development teams have a clear path, well-defined objectives and the necessary structure to execute effectively.

Without strong governance, software projects fail from:

1. Vague Requirements – Developers are given ambiguous directives like “Make it work” or “We need something scalable” without concrete definitions and expectations.

2. Shifting Expectations – Business goals evolve, but there’s no structured way to communicate changes, leading to constant rework.

3. Undefined Success Metrics – There’s no clear definition of what success looks like, leaving software developers unsure if they are on the right track.

4. Misaligned Leadership and Development – Decisions are made in silos, without aligning product leadership’s vision with the realities of software development constraints.

5. Blame Culture – When a project misses deadlines or fails to meet expectations, developers take the fall — when in reality, they were never given the clarity or tools to succeed.

Product Governance as the Solution

Governance isn’t about adding bureaucracy, it’s about clarity, alignment, and efficiency. Effective software governance provides:

• Clear Objectives & Requirements – Well-documented product features, user stories, functional expectations, acceptance criteria and technical constraints.
• Defined Product Roadmaps & Key Milestones – A structured development plan with measurable progress markers.
• Technical Guardrails – Clear documentation on technical architecture, product security, scalability, and compliance needs.
• Decision-Making Clarity – A framework that defines who makes decisions at each stage of product development.

– Iterative Feedback Loops – Regular check-ins between leadership and development teams to realign expectations early and often with the users.

With governance in place, developers know “exactly what is expected” and have the “guidance to execute efficiently.”

How to Implement Strong Governance

If you’re leading a software project, here’s how to prevent governance failures:

1. Define Your Product Vision Clearly – Set concrete, actionable goals before software product development begins.

2. Establish a Governance Framework – Create structured processes for decision-making, documentation, and communication.

3. Provide Software Developers with the Right Resources – Equip product teams with well-defined requirements, tools, and support upfront.

4. Foster Collaboration Between Business & Engineering – Align product leadership goals with software development realities to avoid miscommunication.

5. Continuously Monitor & Adapt – Implement regular checkpoints to assess progress and pivot as needed.

Before You Blame the Software Developers…

Ask yourself:

• Did we define exactly what we wanted built?
• Did we document clear success criteria?
• Did we provide software developers with the right product vision, requirements, tools, guidance, and support?
• Did we establish governance processes to keep the project on track?

If any of these are missing, the problem isn’t your software developers — it’s the “lack of governance.”

Need Help? ISHIR Can Fix That.

At ISHIR, we specialize in “rescuing failing software projects” and implementing strong governance frameworks to ensure long-term success.