How to set project boundaries as a solopreneur

Recently, I decided to build a customer relationship management system (CRM) for my solo business. It started as a simple list of my contacts. Then I integrated my Google Drive and my calendar. Then I decided to add a pretty interface in my brand colors, along with some behind-the-scenes automation. The problem? That was hours of time I hadn’t planned to spend. Nobody was going to use it except for me, and the first version would have served my original purpose. While it was certainly a fun project, it wasn’t necessary. Large organizations have project managers who set limits. Working solo, that responsibility falls to you, whether it’s for an internal project or client work. You’ve got to hold the line so that you don’t end up putting more effort into a project than it’s worth. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-1.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/work-better-mobile-1.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to Work Better\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"Thoughts on t…