Hey Friends 👋

I'm Bilal Jamil and I help people and organisations make things happen. Since 2013, I've been delivering some of the UK's most complex, safety-critical engineering projects. But it wasn't a straight road getting here.

How I Got Here

At school I studied art, business, and law. A bit of a mix, I know. Thought I might become a solicitor. But I decided to take a bold move and try something completely different, something more hands-on to see how things would play out. So I signed up for a railway apprenticeship scheme.

It was during that apprenticeship that I was first exposed to the world of projects. I discovered there was this thing called project management, a whole discipline I'd never heard about at school or college. It made me curious. What exactly was this? How did it all work? I wanted to learn more.

That curiosity led me to actively pursue project management roles, and that's when the real learning began.

Learning the Hard Way

I jumped into my first project management role without really knowing what I was signing up for. That's when I found the gap between theory and reality, and it's a big gap.

All those methodologies like PRINCE2 and APM? They're valuable frameworks that give you structure and common language. But they can't prepare you for everything. The unexpected politics, the stakeholder who changes their mind at the eleventh hour, the real-world constraints that no textbook mentions. In engineering, when things don't go to plan, the consequences are immediate and visible.

I learnt through trial and error, made mistakes, fixed them, made different ones. The theory gave me a foundation to build on, but the real learning happened on the job. Eventually, I got the hang of it.

Finding a Better Way

While delivering projects day-to-day, I kept thinking there must be a way to bridge this gap properly. So from 2014 to 2016, I did my MSc in Project Management while working full time, then picked up my APMP qualification in 2016. Got all the bells and whistles, as they say.

As I was studying for my MSc and APMP exam, I ended up writing a 50-page manual packed with theory. Content-heavy, comprehensive, all the academic frameworks laid out perfectly. But I soon realised theory alone isn't enough when the pressure is real and deadlines are breathing down your neck. What actually works is knowing when to apply which bit of theory, how to adapt it on the fly, and most importantly, when to go beyond the textbook and trust your instincts. That's when real project management happens.

The Unexpected Detour

In 2021, I started an online jewellery business from scratch. Wildly different from engineering, but I quickly realised the skills from managing projects were transferable. I applied planning, risk management, and stakeholder thinking to a completely new domain. One of my happiest days was making my first sale. I even kept the invoice.

I made several sales and things were ramping up, but I had to take a bitter pill and decided to close it. Competing with big-budget brands in the jewellery space was an eye-opener. It wasn't sustainable long-term. One of the hardest decisions I've made, but also the one that taught me the most by far. In hindsight, I'm glad I knew when to pull out. That experience gave me invaluable insights into entrepreneurship and equipped me with skills I still use today.

Where I Am Now

Since then, I've continued to worked on engineering projects across the UK. The work keeps getting more complex, the deadlines tighter, and the stakes higher. Exactly the kind of challenge I enjoy.

Alongside delivery, I'm a keen researcher in project management with a passion for sharing my experiences and ideas with others. Whether it's through writing, speaking, or experimenting with new methods, I believe in pushing the boundaries of how we deliver projects and help teams succeed.

Why I'm Doing This

Here's the thing: project management changed my life. It took me from being an apprentice to leading multi-million pound projects. But most people still don't know what it really is or how powerful it can be.

I want to change that. I want to make project management accessible to everyone. I believe we need to modernise how we think about and teach project management. Strip away the jargon, focus on what actually works, and help more people realise they already have these skills.

My vision is simple: drive the project management industry forward by sharing real experiences, challenging outdated practices, and building a community where we learn from each other's successes and failures. No gatekeeping, no pretending we have all the answers, just honest conversations about what it takes to deliver in the real world.

If we can make project management more human, more accessible, and more practical, we can help more people and organisations succeed. That's why I'm building this platform, creating resources, and sharing everything I've learned along the way.

The Changes I Want to See

  • Strip Away the Complexity: I want project management stripped back to what matters. Simple when it can be, complex only when it needs to be. The fundamentals haven't changed, we've just buried them under layers of methodology.

  • Make PM a Life Skill, Not a Job Title: I want PM skills accessible to everyone, not just those with the job title. From school kids learning to plan their first project to parents organising family life. These are life skills that should be taught in schools, not locked behind a corporate world.

  • Share What Actually Works: I want us to share real experiences openly. What worked, what didn't, and why. Every PM has lessons from the field that could help others avoid pitfalls or find better ways to deliver. Those collective insights could transform how we develop the next generation.

  • Cut Through the Hype I want to translate rapid industry changes into practical actions. AI, remote work, new methodologies are reshaping project delivery faster than ever. We need to cut through the hype and extract what actually works.

  • Talk About the Pressure I want honest conversations about the PM’s mental health. You're the shock absorber between stakeholders and delivery teams. You carry the weight of delivery while navigating politics, managing up and down, and keeping everyone aligned. That takes a toll. We need to normalise these conversations and support each other through them.

What's In It For You?

  • Manage projects effectively when theory meets real-world constraints

  • Master frameworks and tactics that actually work under pressure

  • Learn from honest reflections on failures and how to bounce back

  • Navigate the people side - psychology, politics, and leadership challenges

  • Stay ahead as AI, remote work, and digital transformation reshape our field

Whether you're a seasoned project manager, a business leader, or someone running projects without the job title, this is for you.

What You'll Get From Me

This isn't just a blog. It's a growing collection of ideas, research, stories, mistakes, and insights from real projects and real people.

  • The PM Insights - Articles with Practical gudies and stories from delivering complex projects.

  • The PM Notebook - Newsletter with fresh ideas, research, and lessons from the field.

  • Real PM Podcast - Honest conversations with people actually doing the work.

  • PM Labs - Interactive experiences to help bridge the gap between theory and practice

I share the tactics that work, the traps I've fallen into, and what actually happens when things go wrong (because they will). No sugar-coating, just real project management.

Join the Journey

Subscribe to The PM Notebook for regular insights straight to your inbox, or listen to The Real PM Podcast for honest conversations about what actually works.

Ready to bridge theory and practice? Try PM Labs - the first-of-its-kind interactive experiences I developed where you step through real project scenarios and make PM decisions hands-on. It's my way of helping and guiding you beyond traditional learning to build the practical judgment that only comes from doing.

Connect with me on LinkedIn for project management insights or get in touch to share your thoughts and experiences.

A Quick Word

Starting all this is scary. The imposter syndrome doesn't go away. There's always that voice saying, "You'll fail. What will others say? This is too hard. This is silly." But that's what real project management looks like. Uncertainty, self-doubt, and moving forward anyway.

I'm learning as I go, just like you. Join me on this journey. We'll figure it out together.

Bilal Jamil,