A Model for Timeless Product
and Project Management
FEATURED PAPER
By Dinesh Sharma and Himani Verma
Delhi, India
Abstract
Human evolution, from the Stone Age to the modern era, has been marked by significant technological and societal changes. However, human physiology and psychology have remained largely constant, highlighting our adaptability as a species. Despite not being the strongest or largest, humans have thrived while many species face extinction. In contrast to short-lived and unsustainable product designs, human design has remained “perfect” for over 200,000 years. This whitepaper examines the historical evolution of humanity and our consistent traits to draw insights for developing more timeless approaches to product development and project management
- Introduction
The journey of human evolution from the Stone Age to the modern age has been shaped by remarkable technological advancements and societal transformations. Throughout this journey, although almost everything has changed, all aspects of human physiology and psychology have remained virtually constant. This has been a testament to our adaptability and ingenuity as a species.
Humans are not the biggest or the strongest species. We do not stand a chance to win when we are placed against many species that are much more powerful than us. Many species have disappeared or become extinct over time or are on the verge of becoming extinct. Then what is the reason humans are ruling the world?
The products we see around now are not the same as those that used to exist 1000 years ago. How many products that we use now, we believe, will be used say 10 years from now, maybe very few, 100 years from now, maybe none. The product and their designs are short-lived and lack sustainability.
On the other hand, if we consider humans as a product, what has significantly changed in humans over the last 1000 years…. nothing. The human design can be considered perfect as it does not need any changes over time. It exhibits remarkable resilience, comparable to robust biological systems (Wagner & Payne, 2021). The concept of evolutionary stability suggests that well-designed systems endure with minimal changes over time (Clark et al., 2020). Why shouldn’t we derive the learnings from the same to come up with an approach for timeless product development and project management?
In this white paper, we will explore the historical evolution, consistent aspects of human physiology and psychology, and the concept of humans as a “perfect design,” to draw insights for modern software development.
- Historical Evolution and Human Constancy
Human existence started from the stone age around 2.6 million years ago, which also marked the beginning of human civilization, as early humans discovered fire and invented tools. Human capabilities improved over time to get till modern humans the homo sapiens, which came into existence around 200,000 years ago. Although a lot has happened in the last 200,000 years, the human physiology and psychology has remained constant (Boyd & Silk, 2017). This stability contrasts sharply with modern product designs, which often require frequent updates to stay relevant (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2020).
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How to cite this paper: Sharma, D. and Verma, H. (2025). The Perfect Human Design: A Model for Timeless Product and Project Management; PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue III, March. Available online at http://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/pmwj150-Mar2025-Sharma-Verma-the-perfect-human-design-2.pdf
About the Authors
Dinesh Sharma
Delhi, India
Dinesh Sharma is an Executive Leader in a leading IT organization. He has more than 27 years of experience in IT Industry with 16+ years in Project management. He has extensive Project, Program and Delivery Management experience and more than 11 years into Agile Based Models. Dinesh has worked with a number of organizations both product based and service based across the globe.
He has experience working with wide range of domains and technologies and an exceptional track record of delivering a high number of projects and programs with 100% success rate. He is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Leadership, People Management, Project Management, Agile, Process Maturity and AI. Mr Sharma has published more than 30 articles and whitepapers on multiple international platforms and has delivered talks at more than ten global agile and project management conferences including Agile and Beyond 2024 (USA). He can be contacted at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hidineshsharma/
Himani Verma
Delhi, India
Himani Verma is a Senior Software Engineering Manager in a leading IT organization, with a professional background spanning over 17 years in the IT industry, including more than a decade of project management experience. She brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
Her skills encompass extensive project, program, and delivery management, with a strong focus on Agile-based models for over 10 years and a privilege of collaborating with a diverse range of organizations worldwide, both in product-based and service-based sectors.
Throughout her career, she has gained valuable experience across various domains, such as US healthcare, banking, telecom, and cutting-edge technologies. She proudly built an exceptional track record of successfully delivering projects and programs. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in implementing IT operational initiatives that have achieved substantial cost savings and FTE reduction, resulting in remarkably high IRR.
Himani can be contacted at https://www.linkedin.com/in/himani-verma-a314569b/
