In the scientific literature on project management, project success is treated as a central theme, with its significance and measurability rarely being critically questioned. Studies on project management aim to define factors that are likely to lead to success. But what does project success mean, how can it be determined, and what relevance does it have? Bettina Mall critically examines the meaning of the term project success as well as its complexity. Through a quantitative and qualitative literature analysis, the author arrives at surprising results that encourage further engagement with the topic and call into question previous research findings.