Apr
28
Hitting our stride
Filed Under management styles, production
After a lovely weekend in Charlottesville, Va at the Foxfield races, we’re back to work in Atlanta.
Starting the third week of full-scale production, our team is really beginning to hit its stride. We’ve worked out a few of the kinks associated with working in different locations and having the development team split between Atlanta and Jacksonville. I’d like to give credit here both to our development partner, Hashrocket, Andrew (our front-end guy), and Tristan. Specifically Tristan has really taken up the responsibility of making sure all of the pieces are moving smoothly and making sure everyone has the direction they need to move as quickly as possible.
Because of the progress we’re making, we are hoping to have a private alpha version of Event Seek available for testing by friends and family in the next month or so. We’ll put up a semi-working version of the product for everyone to check out and give feedback on. You’ll all be part of the development process, sharing what you like, don’t like, what you want to see, and what you managed to break. Keep your eyes open…
I’d like to take a moment as well to comment on some of the production tactics we’re using that have been working well:
- Front-end driven development - Thanks to the hard work put in by Tristan and Andrew, much of the design for the product is already completed. This allows them to sit down with our development team and walk them through how the site will actually work when it is being used. Nothing paints a picture for developers like the ability to “see” the finished product.
- Output focused - The team overall is very focused on generating valuable output. Rather than tackle big meaty problems off the bat, we’ve tried to break them into smaller pieces that can be completed and show meaningful progress. Not only does this keep me (the end client) happy, but it also allows us to very clearly track and understand our successes and what is holding us back.
- Distinct roles and responsibilities - Even though I struggled with the idea at first, we have all begun to really adapt to our different roles. Everyone on our team knows what they are responsible for and is focused on delivering their piece of the puzzle. This makes sure that we aren’t all looking over each other’s shoulders and second guessing work. At the end of the day, I believe this is making everyone more productive and happier.
Tristan and I certainly didn’t plan all of these facets in advance - it is a very organic and constantly changing and improving process. Our production processes will continue to get better and better over time. I just keep my fingers crossed that we don’t screw up anything big before then.
Kudos to the team for their progress to date. Next time maybe I’ll talk about all the things we’re doing poorly. I wouldn’t hold your breath though…
Posted by: connor.fee
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