The lack of comprehensive planning prior to the initiation of a software development project is a very pervasive failing. This paper walks through a sample software development plan discussing the various areas that a software development manager should address in preparing his project's plan. Various considerations and suggestions are presented for each of the management subject areas. How the user/customer can use the developer's plan to aid in monitoring of his software's evolution is also presented. Detailed planning of a software development project is necessary to the successful completion of the project.