This means project managers have to be more adaptable than ever before. For example, they may not be able to employ traditional methodologies, like a phase-gate life cycle, because those don't provide a completed product as early, Rothman says.

Also, there's no guarantee you won't have to change gears midway through. "If you're a traditional project manager who thinks you can line everything up and execute on it, that doesn't work anymore," Rothman says. "There are fewer and fewer project managers who say, 'Let's lock down the project requirements early,' because they know they can't."

So, if you're in that situation, instead of trying to define all the requirements upfront -- which could take you six months or more - Rothman suggests prototyping a few features in a month's time to try out the architecture you think would work and get feedback.

"I can't remember the last time I worked on a project where we had complete and unambiguous requirements to start," she says. "Yet so many project managers keep the requirements phase going forever, instead of showing people something about what the current requirements represent."

Most important, you need an arsenal of techniques that you can apply to all stages of development -- from iterative planning and developing and applying good metrics to fast prototyping and code reviews, she says.