In project management, scope creep is one of those challenges that can sneak up on even the most experienced professionals. If you’ve ever found yourself knee-deep in a project that’s suddenly ballooned beyond its original boundaries, you’ve encountered scope creep. It’s that unplanned growth in a project’s scope that can lead to missed deadlines, blown budgets, and a whole lot of frustration. But why does scope creep happen, and more importantly, how can you keep it from derailing your projects? Let’s explore this concept, especially how it applies to software development, where the stakes are often high and the room for error is slim.