Why do software projects seem to slow down the closer you get to completion? We think there are a number of reasons - perceptual, intrinsic, and organizational. What are they, and how can you counter them? All of these factors are expressed in terms of “cost” (whether that be money, complexity, or difficulty) and how that changes over time (or age or size of the project). Perception When you start building a new software project, each additional week delivers many new features.