Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP

Senior Project Manager

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Your 10 years of PM experience might be your biggest liability for the 2026 PMP® Exam.
The PMBOK® Guide – 8th Edition just flipped the script. It's no longer about checklists; it's about a System for Value Delivery.
Are you a Firefighter or a Strategist?
https://t.co/Rk25UtuDpY

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

I recommend reading The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker.

Its core idea still matters in project management:

Effectiveness is not being busy.

A meeting is not governance.
A report is not control.
A decision is not real until someone owns the action.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Finished Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman.

3/5 ⭐️

Best takeaway: under stress, the emotional brain can hijack the thinking brain, so self-awareness + regulation are leadership skills.
Valuable, but dense/academic and heavy on studies; I lost momentum.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

I just finished The Next Renaissance by Zack Kass and I rate it (5/5).

Every Renaissance wasn’t just technological, it was about judgment.

AI will give leaders more options, faster.
But it won’t choose for you.

Tools will be abundant.
Sound leadership judgment won’t.

#AI

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

PMBOK 8 gives us the right principles.
Flyvbjerg reminds us that principles fail without discipline at commitment time.

Better projects don’t start with dashboards.
They start with better questions—before we say yes.

Highly recommended reading.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Flyvbjerg’s practical lesson:

Think slow. Act fast.
Slow, rigorous planning is cheap and safe.
Fast delivery shortens exposure to Black Swans.

Heroic megaprojects lose.
Modular, repeatable systems win.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Uncomfortable fact:

California High-Speed Rail didn’t fail at the train level.
It never even reached a stage where a rolling-stock supplier like Alstom could be chosen.

Most damage happened before execution.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Rail projects make this painfully visible.

Same pattern, again and again:
• underestimated costs
• overstated benefits
• early political commitment

California High-Speed Rail is a textbook case.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Another nuance I appreciated: uniqueness.

Projects can be organizationally unique
AND still belong to a clear reference class.

Flyvbjerg attacks uniqueness bias—
“this is so special that past data doesn’t apply.”

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

His counterpoint is decisive:
Value does NOT erase opportunity cost.

Every overrun locks capital, time, and attention.
That means other projects never happen.

A project can create value
and still be the wrong decision.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Interesting tension with PMBOK 8

PMBOK 8 emphasizes value delivery.
Flyvbjerg doesn’t deny value—but challenges this defense:

“Who cares if it was late and over budget? It created value.”

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Most PM frameworks assume “manageable variance.”

Megaproject reality =
low-probability, high-impact events
•long timelines
•political lock-in

That’s why surprises aren’t surprising.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

One key idea: project risk is fat-tailed, not normal.

A few extreme failures dominate outcomes.
This aligns closely with Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Black Swan logic.

Planning for averages is the wrong game.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Strong recommendation: if you work in projects, infrastructure, or governance, this book is a must-read.

Flyvbjerg’s core claim is blunt:
Projects don’t go wrong. They start wrong.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Most mega-projects don’t fail in execution.
They fail the moment we say “approved.”

That’s my biggest takeaway after reading How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

⭐⭐⭐/5
How to Build Passive Income with AI —Chuck Little

Simple. Practical. No fluff.

Stop trading hours → start building systems

AI ≠ magic.
A multiplier for:
• solving real problems
• validating fast
• automating repeat work

Great starter book. Solid ideas. Easy read

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

If it’s to be, it’s up to me

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ AI for Everyone – SK Singh
Good intro to AI for beginners. Clear explanations, practical tools, strong mindset: AI as a copilot, not a replacement.
Downside: lots of repetition, slide-like structure.
Solid start, light on depth.

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

Stop blaming PMs.

EEFs (conditions) + OPAs (playbook) shape outcomes.

3 truths:
Uncomfortable: strong PM not enough.
Hard: set up to fail, blame loud.
Hopeful: name EEF/OPA early, fix governance.

https://t.co/hymrgq33RK
#PMP #ProjectManagement

[Sam Ghauch P.Eng., PMP @samghauch]

“I will persist until I succeed.”
Not as motivation. As a command.

Failure is not shameful. Quitting is.
Obstacles are not enemies. They are training grounds.

This book reminded me to act now, master habits, and grow into who I was meant to be.