This document discusses the top 5 mistakes that can guarantee project failure: lack of stakeholder alignment, unrealistic hero time estimates, scope creep, failure to communicate, and undefined success. Each mistake is explained through examples and key steps are provided to avoid each mistake, such as clearly aligning project goals, exhaustively collecting requirements, managing expectations, and setting metrics and targets. The overall message is that properly managing scope, communication, expectations, and defining success are critical to avoiding assured project failure.