What is a stakeholder? (No Jargon)
What Is a Stakeholder? (No Jargon) - Part 1 A stakeholder is anyone who has a reason to care about your project . That’s it. No buzzwords. No fancy diagrams. If someone can influence your project’s direction, success, or failure—even if it’s just by having an opinion—they’re a stakeholder. Here’s the easiest way to spot one: 👉 Can they block progress? 👉 Will they be affected by the result? 👉 Are they putting money, time, or reputation into this? If the answer’s yes to any of those, they’re in. And stakeholders aren’t just “senior people.” They might be: Your boss (obviously) Another team who depends on your output A customer you’re building something for A legal or compliance person who needs to sign off Even someone on your team who’s doing the actual work The problem? Most people only think about stakeholders after they’ve hit a wall. Someone speaks up late, the goalposts move, or the feedback blindsides the team—and then the scramble begins. Stakeh...
