How would you manage an existing software team?
anamax: > There is an existing team working on these solutions, and they say they're about 50% ready to launch.> ... work with the developers to build a realistic set of phases and milestones in the project.Somewhere between these two statements there's a problem.What makes you think that they don't have a set of phases and milestones, that said phases/milestones are somehow inadequate, or that you can do significantly better right now?  (I'm perfectly willing to assume that you can do better three months from now, but I'll bet that they can too.)If they don't, you've got a huge problem.  But, you haven't said anything that supports that assumption.  So, why are you making it?