Keep the following acronym in mind; FIST

• Fast
• Inexpensive
• Simple
• Tiny

If you can try to follow these principles you'l get better results.

There is a booklet f articles on this theme here and a blog here.

Let me summarise a few points, but please go read more.

• The faster you get a reslt out the lower the cost of failure.  Alternately the faster you pump out a result the quicker you get the benefits of the system, feedback from users.  The faster you get a system out the door the lower the cost of scope creep.
• Inexpensive doesn't mean cheap.  At a certain point the more people you throw at a project the less likely it will complete or succeed.  Keep the team lean and you not only avoid the problems of complex communication, but you leave open the door for more creativity and innovation
• Simlplicity has many benefits.  One thing to keep in mind is to avoid new technology onany projects where there is scale or complexity at play.  you don't want to ad learning new tools and dealing with the inevitable technology gaps when you are already under pressure with other typical project challenges.  Consider adding in non functional reqirements that drive conservatism into the design.
• Tiny, well, you all know the bigger the badder.  Remember to break up your projects into smaller releases.  As small as yo can manage and keep a consistent, working and useful package.  But keep it small.