There has been significant schedule pressure recently on projects in the extractive metallurgy industry. This pressure has come primarily from the transition of the energy economy to create the capacity for “greener” processes and products. Examples of this trend include the battery materials and automotive space, which seeks to rapidly bring online new capacity for electric vehicles, and the displacement of carbon-based fuels used in traditional metallurgical processes. Achieving these noble goals requires innovation and novel technologies to be part of these projects. Moreover, there is immense pressure on the extractive metallurgy industry to implement projects faster and with less definition, which leads to increased project risk and often the instinct to streamline effort development, engineering, and execution. A clear understanding of key factors in successful fast-track projects is needed to avoid excessive streamlining, resulting in disappointing project outcomes and even worse, a safety incident that causes irreparable harm. The authors have identified key success factors based on projects that achieved positive outcomes in the current aggressive market.