Sporting the title of "the largest Casino in the world", The Venetian Casino in Macau was big news in 2004 - and most deservedly so.

You never forget your first 'billion dollar project'.  And even though what is presented here is just a thin slice of this historic project, there are several important lessons that can and should be passed on as a result of this experience.  Not least of which is that yes, teamwork is important, but without proper technical guidance, spinning your wheels is almost guaranteed - even in the best of environments.  Coordination of technical resources is everything! 

Upper management in most corporate firms is fond of reminding the troops in the trenches: "you must first learn how to walk, before you can learn how to rum".  Good advice when taken to heart.

Lesson 1:  Over-confidence in existing 'in-house standards' can lead some to think 'tech problems' will simply resolve themselves.

Coordination between firms with different software and  standards requires experienced CADD Directors on both sides of the fence.

Lesson 2:  When projects become so large and complex that dozens of firms in various professional disciplines must rely on each other to be productive, mishap and chaos will surely follow.

Project Managers may not always be well versed in technical matters, but they can always recognize the moment things begin to work correctly.  In a perfect world, they will also do their best to credit team members that fix these problems with their superiors.

Hence, we come to Lesson 3:  Never rely on others to make upper management aware of your great feats of expertise.  While they may be good hearted, well-intentioned and diligent people, you will surely be disappointed.  Always make time to seek the credit and recognition for a job well done yourself, if you know you deserve it.