Start Up Manager

Set the Stage

2011-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm in a lot of meetings a day. The best thing for my quality of life so far has been the wireless headset that I have. After all that coffee, I can pace around and work some of that energy off. But sometimes my pacing has a tinge of frustration as its root. "Whats this meeting about?"

I get invited to many meetings and I suspect that sometimes it is out of protocol. So bring me up to speed. I try to do that when I know someone is in my meeting that hasn't been involved in the topic being discussed. It really is simple. Take 30 - 45 seconds at the beginning of the meeting to lay out the goals for the a lotted time. This will then allow all participants to understand why they are they, how they can contribute and perhaps be more willing to take on action items.

Do you think it is possible people don't explain the goals of the meeting up-front because they don't have any goals for the meeting? If this is the case, give everyone their hour back. I've posted before on running efficient meetings and I think this is a good follow up.

Why are we here?

Good luck,
Brian
http://atomictower.com - Web Reporting Engine

Moving Energy

2011-09-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

On the first day of my time at Babson college, my classmates and I were lectured to by the cohort ahead of us. They were psyching us up and giving us pointers on the road that lay ahead. One speaker owned a gym and was looking to buy into a franchise. I sat rolling my eyes as he said how important it would be to continue our exercise as we worked through the next two years. I wasn't buying any of it. How could I possibly find time for exercise as I commuted on the train to Boston, worked a full day and then squeezed classwork and family time into the remainder of the day. He was seriously a slacker taking time for exercise.

Now it is more than a year after the program. I have been working on starting my own company http://atomictower.com and I don't have any more time in the day than I did when I was commuting and at school. But I am beginning to understand what he meant. Entrepreneurship is exciting, stimulating and fun. It is the most ambitious endeavor that I have undertaken in my career. I am building something to be proud of that will benefit many. But how can anyone enjoy this if their body is breaking down?

Health is number 1. As the leader in your company it is imperative to stay healthy (you owe it to your partners). We need to project confidence to our clients and our investors. Looking and feeling fit tells people that you have everything under control and that they can trust you to manage your company as you manage your health.

I advocate taking the same approach to your health as we shoe-string innovators do to setting up our companies. Look to what is most important and provide for it as cost-efficiently as possible. No need to run into an expensive gym membership or an unrealistic schedule. My philosophy is that a healthy heart and lungs are the most important. So aerobic exercise is my choice. I like the fun of bike riding, so I bought a used bike for $30. I LOVE it! Not much for looking at, but I can get as good exercise on this as I can on a $1,000 bike.

The last part is to commit to 20 minutes most days. Plan it like you would a meeting. I would never dream of not making a meeting, so get on the bike too. Since it is at home, all of the logistics that go into my excuses for NOT going to the gym are gone.

It is important, I recommend it, good luck.

Brian

http://atomictower.com – web reporting engine

Put Toastmasters on your Resume

2011-08-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am a member of Toastmasters.

Every week my club meets at a local restaurant where we conduct a meeting focused on building skills in leadership and public speaking. We work from an established agenda and a set of manuals that focus on a methodology established to build these skills over time and with our commitment.

Recently I read a series of blog posts from multiple recruiters. The thrust of these posts informed the reader that Toastmasters is seen as a “hokey” group for inexperienced speakers. They feel that this is speaking “practice” and does not build experience. One recruiter went on to say that if you can't qualify as an expert speaker you should not put Toastmasters on your resume because it was deceptive. They all agreed that Toastmasters who are job seekers should not put their club affiliation on their resumes.

I feel VERY differently than the folks who's views I just described.

As a hiring manager, if I am interviewing someone with challenged communication skills I would welcome the information that they were involved in Toastmasters. It tells me that the person has proactively identified a weakness and has taken the necessary steps to begin to correct it. This makes a strong impression on me and may even nullify the “negative” that they would normally be given based on their current skills.

Being an active Toastmaster, I know the effort and level of preparation that my fellow members and I put into our speeches. We also work hard on learning how to deliver and receive constructive feedback. On top of all this, Toastmasters rotate meeting responsibilities and officer posts, giving all members the opportunity to build their organization and leadership skills.

One of the most poignant considerations that must be address is that public speaking is on the top of the list of fears for most people. As Seinfeld jokes, most people would rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy. So what does it say to you when you meet a person that consistently faces their fears in order to conquer them? To me it speaks volumes. I know I am building my confidence and that I am supporting my associates to do the same.

So I question the recruiting “professionals” that posted those negative comments. I wonder if maybe they are too immature in their position to fully understand what a Toastmaster designation implies. I would love to ask them how they spend their time away from work – I suspect probably not in meeting with a like-minded group of professionals determined to improve the most sought after skill that crosses ALL industries. When you put that Toastmaster affiliation on your resume you are stating that you are self-aware, confident and proactive. You are stating that you recognize communication as the key to any successful business and that you are committed to holding up your end while leading others in a constructive way.

I encourage all Toastmasters to proudly put this affiliation on their resumes. And if you are not yet a Toastmaster, I hope you'll run out and join your local chapter. I am sure your employer will appreciate your decision.

Go do something great for yourself.

Brian

http://atomictower.com – Web Reporting Engine

Atomic Tower

2011-07-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I was so happy to finally be able to go live with the web site for my company, Atomic Tower. It took a lot of work to get there, and holding back until everything was ready was so difficult. I'm very excited about this project and I couldn't wait to tell everyone about it.

Before I could announce it though there were some things that had to be in place, basic, but I'll share them here. First off was the web site. It was a better experience for my connections to see my LinkedIn profile updated and then have a web site to go to and read more. On top of that, the web site wouldn't be complete without a way to build a mailing list - so that needed to be in place too.

Other important points were a business phone number and "info" email address.
I created a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account.

Once all of this was in place, it made sense to turn everything "on", so to speak. It was very gratifying to see how much interest was generated in the first few days! I'm glad I held my horses until all the set up was complete.

Next will be to create an Atomic Tower blog!

Thanks and good luck,

Brian
http://atomictower.com - web reporting engine

Sell Your Product – YOU

2011-07-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Let’s pretend for a minute. Let’s imagine that you are an inventor of a new product and you’re here for me to tell you how I am going to get your product in front of every single person IN THE WORLD…FOR FREE! Are you going to listen? Would this be important to you? Of course!

Do you know how much ads during the super bowl cost? $2.6M for 30 seconds. They reach 110M viewers. 1.5% of the worldwide population. But, out of the same 7B people worldwide, 2.1B of them are internet users. You can spend close to $3M to reach 111M for 30 seconds, or NOTHING to reach a third of them 24
hours a day! I think we’re on the same page now

And the best part is, you do have a product. This wasn’t just theoretical fancy. You ARE the product. Are YOU any less important to sell than a product? You ARE your product.

Unemployment is up. Its past having to quote statistics for us all to comprehend or agree – we know people are struggling. If you were a baker and the market were suddenly flooded with 50,000 new brands of bread, you would have to change your tactics to make yours stand out and capture the sales. In the same fashion, you must sell yourself as your own product. You have to innovate to set yourself apart from the crowd. If you’ve been out of the game for a while, dust off and update the tools.

Still using a paper resume? I remember sending looking for a job back in the ‘90s. I was standing at a mailbox infront of the world trade center in Boston where I worked as a temp. I had half a dozen resumes in my hand, painfully typed cover letters and envelopes. I was about to drop them into the mailbox, I stood there quietly muttering a prayer, hoping they would wind up on the correct desk. It is a very powerful memory and it was a very powerless feeling.

Technology is here to make sure that we don't need to repeat experiences like this. There is a new world to acquaint yourself with and it is tailored made for your ease of use.
• Facebook captures ½ of a country’s population before enrollment slows
• Twitter has 13% of all online users in the US
• Google sites had 1 billion hits in May, 2011
These reach huge numbers of people and they are all FREE services.

Here are some steps to leverage these great tools:

THINK BRAND MARKETING ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST WHEN YOU NEED A NEW JOB
Appoint yourself VP of Marketing for your product - YOU. Make sure you hold yourself accountable too.

Create a network
Use Linkedin and KEEP using it.

Blog
Tell us what you know. Set yourself up as an expert in what you do. This is no time to be shy.

Update status
Update twitter, Linkedin, facebook frequently. Let everyone know that you are staying fresh and have insights to share.

Create 3 minute videos
Youtube BABY! Web cams are almost free! Comb your hair, turn on a light and – SPEAK! Than post the link as a status update! I can hear it now “wow, Bob has thoughts and can articulate them. Plus he knows how to use current low cost tools to carry out his ideas”. Wouldn’t we all like that said about us?

Speak at meetups arranged on the internet
Another tried and true practice. Find a meetup group that is in line with your profession and go speak, press the flesh.

Tie it all together in a central location
Google sites offers great templates where you really only need to update the content and PRESTO, instant web site. I have one (brianleblanc.net). I did it on the train on a $170 netbook. Get business cards from vistaprint.com for free and put this web address on it. Put links to your all your social media profiles. Consider this your resume, one stop shopping for YOU

We are living in a day and age where location and money don’t matter. Never before in the history of man has this opportunity to market your skills and talent existed. You know you’re a SME, act like it, and have fun with this.

Best of luck,
Brian
http://atomictower.com - web reporting engine

Don't be Comfortable

2011-06-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

At Toastmasters this evening, I heard a speech about finding your dream job and that it is never too late. The speech was about a man who quit his job, bought a few washing machines and "cleaned up" in the laundry business. Later, after making a very good living he sold it to become a chef. The point of the story was focusing on the second half (the chef), I was riveted to the first part, the laundry. Here was the story of a true entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs have an overabundance of self-confidence. This guy not afraid to start a business. He knew he wouldn't allow himself to fail. He did it. Of course he must have felt the doubts and the insecurities. I'll bet he got tired and woke up not wanting to be “on” once in a while too, but he did it. He like everyone who succeeds was not afraid to live in that uncomfortable feeling. I propose that to feel “comfortable” is an alert that success has been capped.

How many people speak publicly with ease and complete comfort? Not many, yet there is a full room each week that I go to Toastmasters. These folks are driven for success in speaking and are willing to sit through the discomfort to attain it. Maybe successful people are just able to tolerate a higher level of this sensation than most.

Entrepreneurship must be the black belt level.

The Best Deal in Marketing

2011-06-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

In a recent Wall Street Journal blog, Amir Efrati points out that in May 2011 Google attained 1 Billion unique visitors to its various web sites. 1 BILLION IN MAY!

A week or so ago I read a cool article that discussed a theory regarding Facebook’s upward limit. It explained that it when Facebook is newly released in a country it gains new users quickly, until it has collected HALF of the country’s population, then new accounts slow. HALF A COUNTRY’S POPULATION!

Last week I posted a link on my Linkedin account that explained Twitter claims 13% of all online Americans. 13%!

Have there ever been such powerful marketing/sales tools available to us entrepreneurs?

Facebook, Twitter and most Google sites are FREE.

Do you use these services effectively? Do you have a Web 2.0 plan and is it part of your marketing strategy? My vote is that it should be.

As startup entrepreneurs we look for value and bang for the buck. These services allow us to reach the whole world – Wow, did I just see our audience grow exponentially?! But what is left is our effort to learn to use these tools to their utmost. It’s worth it.

With this amazing access to so many potential clients, partners, investors etc., it is quite obvious that we need to stand out from the field. This forces best practices and social networking innovation. Get on it. Deliver your message, be consistent and take advantage of what has never been available before. The world is closer than ever.

Good luck,

Brian

Review Gates - Not so Evil

2011-06-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

I've been working with a rather large client, managing the release of a couple mobile applications. Their processes are well documented and many. I mean it...there is a LOT of process. Part of the process the PMs have to schedule are weekly checkpoints with the review board and review board gates prior to advancing into SIT, UAT or Prod. I know that some colleagues may consider this overkill or unnecessary, but I have come to appreciate it.

This type of process isn't for us when we are wearing our startup manager hat. We insist on flexibility and agility. We establish process and try to create repeatable successful performances based on strong startup engineering processes. However, we don't have the immense infrastructure that these large companies do. They have to be extra careful to not effect other groups when making changes, and only well adhered to communications protocols will ensure that.

However, the exercise of going through these gateways has reinforced in my mind the importance of orderly project management and impeccable planning and documentation. Here are a group of folks that insist on seeing your plans and signoffs. There are no excuses, just data: "do you have X?" If not, go back and get it done.

Startups can get sloppy on points like I've described here. Using "We're a startup - fast and furious" as an excuse is a trap. I think we can all look at how we prepare our plans and take this kind of responsibility back to our startups. Don't get bogged down in process EVER, and don't put processes into place before necessary, but plan well and be able to explain your plan and validation every step of the way.

Best of luck,

Brian

You Can Go Your Own Way

2011-03-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Steve Jobs said "Its better to be a pirate than to join the navy".

Jobs of course is the founder of Apple Computers. Apple topped Fortune 500s 2011 list of most respected companies, but I suspect if you spoke with Apple's competitors they would tell you he was a bloodthirsty businessman, however I don't think that is what he meant. What Jobs was referring to was freedom.

Freedom v. indoctrination
Doing what you want to do to serve your own purpose v. doing what someone else wants you to do that serves their purpose

I don't want to be a sailor. I don’t want someone telling me what to do, how to live and when to die.

"Its better to be a pirate than to join the navy" - this statement is full of such rich imagery.
A gray battleship with sailors in denim and tee shirts, getting their rations, stowing their kits and being given their orders that are part of a larger plan conceived thousands of miles away by leaders that they have never met.

Contrast that image with the imagery associated with pirates:
Wind in the sails, red silk shirts, debauchery in port of call, chasing gold with the possibility of retiring to an estate in the Caribbean or going down in flames and glory. Now that is excitement and this is what Steve Jobs was talking about - compare it to our careers.

Often times when a worker joins a company they are shown to their 5x7 square foot of real estate. They get a chair, a florescent light, a pay check, vacation pay and maybe a parking spot. Its safe. But to start your own business is to throw caution to the wind. Its taking your fate into your own hands.

Taking your own fate into your hands.
Has anyone ever thought that their boss was...hmm, how should I say it...”not making the best decisions”? Well, if you have, you're saying more than just that. First you're saying that YOU have placed the responsibility for your livelihood into the hands of someone who doesn’t "make the best decisions”. Get it? You're also saying that you believe you could do it better. If that is true, than prove it. Take the responsibility to do it the right way - imagine living in a world where people take responsibility for themselves instead of handing responsibility over to others - sounds like value was created and the world was made a bit better.

Making the world better is big business these days. There are lots of green company startups, and social entrepreneurship is HOT. Investors are looking for new ventures to fund - after all, if you can convince the market to spend and extra $2 on an energy efficient light bulb, that's just good business, good business that does good in the world.

The opportunity to do good in the world by starting a business is greater than ever. With public sector budgets being slashed, important and necessary services are no longer being offered. All of those displaced workers have the chance to start their own venture that meets a critical need. Doing good in the world and creating jobs at the same time!

Finally, its less expensive starting a business now that it ever has been. Forward thinking, driven individuals can harness today's technology to lower their new business's operating expenses to almost nothing. In the old days starting a business meant buying or renting an office, building it out with infrastructure, contracting a phone service, etc. But today we wouldn't do that. Today we take advantage of all the free/low-cost services available on the web to create virtual work environments that displace most of the expenses businesses typically faced in their early stages.

What I hope you’ll take away is that by taking your fate into your own hands you can achieve freedom that allows you to do good in the world and that investment is not the barrier it once was. Piracy isn’t for the faint of heart, but in the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow, “Drink up me hearties, Yo Ho!”

Running Effective Meetings - Easier than you think

2010-10-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Do you dread meetings? Does it feel like your whole day gets sucked into a vacuum of unproductive chaos? Do you HAVE to invite attendees that argue, side track, monopolize or drone? Well as a manager it is up to you to correct this (even if it is your boss!)

I've certainly been part of the above scenarios. There were times when I would call a meeting to discuss a feature set and I knew it would turn into a technical design meeting. This was so frustrating. I had a reason to gather the team together to discuss the new features, tech talk about how to do it wasn't part of my agenda - it would stall the march to progress. Did you catch the key? agenda

How many times does someone take the time to prepare an agenda? It doesn't have to win a Pulitzer Prize, it just needs to be done. The agenda needs to explain what this meeting is about. I've been asked ad-hoc to attend a "quick meeting". These "quick meetings" go on and on and little headway is ever made without a plan. I started asking the person requesting my time to send me the topic and a break down in email. I'd print it out and bring it with me. All I can say is that right away a psychological impression was made by my just putting the "agenda" in front of me for all to see. When things started to go off track I would pick it up and make a big scrutinizing face while I "looked" for the topic that was being discussed. If you stop reading right here, then you are way farther ahead than most!

Aside from preparing an agenda (remember, doesn't have to win a literary award, but effort is always appreciated) is timekeeping. Think back to when you were last networking with someone who could provide a job or service to you. You may have asked for 10 or 20 minutes of their time and then at the end of that you said "thank you, I want to respect your other commitments and I see our time is up" (what a terrific impression). Well, why not have that respect for everyone in the meeting room? I want to hear "we love Brian's meetings!". Well, if you schedule an hour meeting make sure it is an accurate estimate. It is like estimating development work. You've already set the meetings topic and broken it down into bullets, so before the meeting invite is sent out, assign time to each section. No guessing how long to schedule anymore. When folks see times on the agenda they will immediately understand your intention to respect their time and everyone else's. Also it sets you up for some easy phrases that'll keep you on track!

So, we have prepared an agenda that includes time limits for each section. We have added up the time and sent a meeting request for the necessary amount. Our attendees have read the agenda and feel a respect for your sense of purpose. Now you have gathered at the appointed time. Well, if you needed the projector set up or white board cleaned YOU SHOWED UP EARLY! After everyone sits down reiterate that you have an agenda. It can be as easy as "Thank you all for showing attending. I want to get started right away because I know how busy you all are." Then lay out the topic for the meeting (it should be on the agenda for 30 seconds). "I only gave myself less than a minute to set the stage, so here is why we're here...". Your attendees now know that you mean business. If things start to go off topic throw in a "I knew you were going to find some interesting discussion points that aren't on the agenda. I've made a note and will schedule a follow-up to go into that, but we've only got 5 minutes left on this bullet, so I have to bring it back in". Come up with your own or share them as a comment to this post, I'd love to hear them.

Finally, you have to set a culture of efficiency and respect. Make it clear that everyone is to show up on-time. All attendees are expected to review the agenda and any attachments before hand. HOLD ON: that last one means that the meeting creator has to give busy people time to review. Stop ambushing folks - they hate that! We all know that ad-hoc meetings are necessary, but even brainstorming sessions can be structured read about these guys: http://www.ideo.com/ They've made it a science

This is my suggestion. A) agenda B) time limits C) respectful redirecting D) cultural expectations. Like I said, easy.

Good luck and let me know,

Brian
http://brianleblanc.net

Successful Staffing

2010-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

There is a lot that I can say about staffing a startup technology company. I'm finding it difficult to narrow it down to the short few paragraphs that I'll present here in this blog post. Let me put it this way: technical ability is not the only factor that goes into the equation.

I am energized in a startup environment. The intense atmosphere charges me up - every second of everyday is filled with excitement. My team and I are required to put forth 100%. We think on our feet, design for anticipated feedback, create and recreate processes that enhance our efficiency and so much more. This workday can be exhilarating to the right person just as it can be pain to others. To create a vibrant team that is capable of meeting the significant challenges that face a startup tech company I always look further than technical skills.

Someone with an Axe to Grind or Something to Prove or who is just plain HUNGRY is a good place to start. I like to find candidates who are excited that they will get to take on so much more responsibility at a startup than they would be allowed at a larger company. So a person who feels that they can do things better and wants a chance to prove it may be ideal.

Now I am sure you can imagine that this may be creating a powder keg. Think about it, a room (usually a cheap one) filled with highly skilled techies that are striving to do great things. Well, defusing any potential explosions and channeling that energy into a positive direction that drives product creation is your job. Thats where your teambuilding skills come in. But you need the talent first - the right talent.

Cheers,

Brian
http://brianleblanc.net

Burn the Boats!

2010-08-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

I think many of us have heard the legend of Hernando Cortez and how he captured the amazing wealth from Mexico that had so long evaded other European conquerers. If not, you can read all about it here: http://www.tonybrownonline.com/rts/index.asp?action=page&name=16525&siteid=1421

The main thrust of the story is that if you leave an avenue of escape open to yourself than you will not fight as hard for your prize. “Make or break”; “Plunder or parish”; “Do or die”. This is the message that Cortez sent to his men when he said “Burn the boats! Because if we're going home, we're going home in their boats!”

How do you think Cortez's men felt? They were facing a challenge that no one had succeeded at before. In fact, there was overwhelming proof that they were going to fail because so many had before. They were going to succeed or die. Now, how would they have felt if they had known that the boats were offshore waiting to take them home safely? Maybe a risky battle move would not be tried? Maybe they wouldn't give 110%? I think we all get it. Cortez knew what he wanted and knew he wouldn't get it if he and his men were left a safe getaway.

How does the Cortez legend apply to startup management? It is the single-most important energy for you and your team to embody for success.

How do you get that feeling? Well, for starters, how about investing everything that you have? If you know that you face financial ruin if you fail to deliver a product to market, how will you behave? Will you stay up late? Will you forgo the upgraded TV to keep afloat a bit longer? IMPORTANT: will you be extra choosy about who you hire into your company? Lets talk about that one for a moment. If your savings depended on who you hired wouldn't you want to hire in those who would work hard like you will?

What else about those that we hire? If Cortez was the only one who couldn't get back on the boat would he have only burned his? NO WAY. He burned everybody's boat. You must create a situation where all participants feel invested and you only want those that will fight to the end. Partial ownership is one way. Ownership gives a great incentive for victory, though you still have to be careful because if someone doesn't believe in the cause they could just be there for the paycheck. Another way is separation.

Is your endeavor an effort for a larger company? Are the engineers employees of the larger company? Break the ties. Move locations. Make everyone uncomfortable. “This is our new office. It is small and dingy. This is what we are affording to stay open. If we don't hit each and every milestone with quality these doors may be locked the next time you show up for work.” Who would want to work in this atmosphere and with this kind of pressure? I do! And so do many others.

Startups are cool! We get to do things and take responsibilities that larger companies don't always allow. It is fast paced and exciting. There is an element of danger. Some people thrive on this. A lot of folks don't. Pick your crew well, inspire them with the promise of shared wealth, and BURN THE BOATS!

Great Expectations

2010-02-11T06:07:00.001-08:00

These days it is difficult to ignore the benefits of offshore development. The potential cost reduction's beneficial effect on a company's profit margin warrants investigation. I am sure a lot of readers are thinking that this is old news, yet I feel that there is significant room for innovation in this model that will make it even more attractive to those who have not tapped these resources for whatever reason.

My experience is mainly with companies based in India. Over the years I have had varied success but on the whole it has been positive. Keep that in mind, because the sheer volume of teams vying for your business is more than overwhelming. They are persistent and tireless in pursuit of your projects and as you would guess, many make promises that they cannot keep. The important part is to have a plan and go into the endeavor with realistic expectations. “Too good to be true” is a sound rule here.

Some ways that you can raise your chances for success with your software project is to use the commonsense methodologies that you would use in any other instance where you are evaluating an unknown.

The first thing to do is to be specific about what you want. If you have technological constraints be clear in your solicitation that you only want to hear from companies that have significant and relevant experience. If you haven't decided on technology (say Ruby on Google App Engine vs. .NET on Azure) ask for a company that has done project work closely related to the functionality that you wish to develop/enhance. If you know both of these, ask to only hear from those that fit the bill in totality. Remember, there are so many offshore development shops that you have a very good chance of finding more than a few that will meet both criteria.

After you have found a few companies to consider, ask for pricing. This varies widely. There are larger (less risky) shops that charge more. You'll find a that with the more established company the benefit to you is the savings on infrastructure and employee services. These shops usually not only charge significantly higher rates, but they have team size quotas and require deep contractual agreements. The smaller companies usually provide the best deal financially, but you have to be on your game in the evaluation period.

When you have boiled down the competition then it is time to do exactly what you would expect, ask for demos of their work that directly relates to the functionality that you wish to build. And then ask for the contact information. Speak to the client that they built it for. Not only must your potential resource be technically apt, but they must be manageable and accountable. Ask the reference your operational questions. They must be able to produce “local” references. I have found that these references are usually very forthcoming in their critiques.

Now it is time to work on you. What do you expect?

From my experience I expect that I can enhance my chances for success by implementing a model where my trusted local team provides detailed technical documentation and that we schedule the resources ourselves. The more specific we can be about not only the look and feel, but how to implement technically the better the results. This model necessitates a local architect. However, if you were to go the 100% offshore resource model, then I would ask you to be sure to continue to provide impeccable functional specifications (painfully detailed) and insist on technical documentation back that could win a Pulitzer Prize.

This is a lot of commonsense advice. The benefit to hearing it though is that it may help to counteract the many sales pitches that a newcomer to off shoring will receive. You may be promised the world at an unbelievably low price, but to take it at face value may put you in a situation where you are disappointed and your effort is endangered. While I have provided some of the steps that will help you create a successful relationship, nothing replaces experience. Working with someone that has gone through this process before will help ensure your expectations. Not only does an experienced offshore manager enable the day-to-day, but they better understand the culture and can provide valuable contacts with trustworthy sources.

So good luck with your team setup. I am always excited about global resources and the technology that enables us to benefit our bottom line while enhancing someone else's standard of living.

Best wishes,

Brian

What's your group mindset?

2010-02-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Mindset by Carol Dweck, Ph.D. This is her take on the psychology of success. It deals with what she calls a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset”. A major theme in this book is that those of us who have the growth mindset embrace challenges (and even failures) as an exciting way to learn. She explains that people who believe that they have the capacity to become more intelligent look for ways to learn new things and therefore DO become smarter. On the reverse side of this coin are those who live with a fixed mindset. Here she believes live the people who have bought into the belief that your IQ is static. They spend a lot of energy proving their worth time and again attempting to seem smart and avoiding situations where they are challenged. After reading through a good portion of this, I began to reflect back on how this applies in a startup technology company. Can an organization have a collective mindset? I say yes.

Going into a startup technology endeavor (I'll say software because that is what I do) a battle scarred vet is going to know that no matter how well the upfront planning was done, unexpected challenges loom around many corners waiting to derail even the best efforts. Now, top-notch technical specifications is one of the ways to reduce the risk and therefore the impact of these “unknowns”, but there will still be some and how the team deals responds to them builds the development culture.

Applying Dweck's theory it is plain to see that the group has the choice to view the challenges as a way to learn or as another roadblock on their way to success. What example will the team lead set? Here is my hope: that early on the manager rubs his/her hands together and says“ahhh, here is an opportunity for us to increase our knowledge base, gauge the amount of time necessary for unknowns, and prove our expertise as a team”. What I mean here is a) solve a problem once and it is solved forever if a short article up on the team wiki b) time how long it takes to resolve the issue and use that factor in development estimates going forward (keep revising this as the team gets better at it). Here is a wonderful metric for evaluating the team. c) Show off! It is a good feather in the group's cap that they were hit with undocumented technical challenges and only took x amount of time to overcome them. This approach/attitude is one of the building blocks to creating an exciting team that thrives in the often unknown technical environment of a startup.

For brevity's sake, I presented just the positive side of the argument. I think we can all see what kind of group is built with a fixed mindset. I am encouraged to reinvigorate my own attitude this week when the inevitable challenge arises. I think my phrase will be “Oh! Good, this is a cool issue to work on. Who is lucky enough to spend some cycles puzzling on this one?”

Good luck,

Brian

Inter-release scheduling

2010-01-25T10:27:00.003-08:00

It takes a special person to lead a start up team. They must enjoy challenges that others may find just too frustrating for words. But it is in this daily 'point - counter point' that the true start up manager thrives. A good example of this theme is what all engineering teams face in the beginning: many high-priority feature requests and a skeleton crew of resources to implement them. Lets call this resource constraint.

Resource constraint is dealt with in many different ways. One way that can be effective is to create a hybrid development model that leverages less expensive off-shore developers to supplement your local team. I plan to talk more about this model in another note, but for now I want to focus on how to make sense of multiple development efforts being run concurrently.

Because a startup is aggressively seeking to become a self-sustainable entity, any sale is treated with the highest level of criticality. So as we methodically move forward, implementing our vision of the perfect software product, we are bombarded with requests from potential sales. To an outsider, the view of the functionality in development may seem disjointed, but we all know that these pieces must be built in quickly to generate sales. On the other hand, we have a team of developers with a variety of skills. You'll see that it really becomes a puzzle of organizing projects based on when the right resource will be available versus architectural priority (i.e. this functionality must be built in to allow that functionality).

I have found one way to achieve a smoothly running team in such an environment is to create inter-release schedules. What I mean by this is schedules that are based on functionality rather than a specific deliverable. First, break the plan up by functional requirement (imagine all of the tasks for Outlook Integration v1 grouped together, then a blank line, and then the tasks for Next Phase of Reporting). Maybe Outlook Integration will be in the next release, but Reporting is not, but having it on the schedule will allow for always making the best use of your resources time. For instance if Dev A completes a task and cannot move onto the next task in that functional area until Dev B completes some supporting tasks, then you can move them onto their part of feature development elsewhere.

I think that you can see that there is a lot more finesse to this than I am able to go into here, but there are a few of you that see the fun. To those readers (that see the fun) I want to say: realize that others see this as a frustrating chore while you see a chess game. Obviously you have to have a well thought out branching scheme in source control. You must know your developers strengths. Also you have to have built a bonded team that respects you and will take direction. Finally you must balance resource reallocation so that it does not become overly tiresome on your team. There is more, but you get the idea.

Cheers,

Brian

The Fast & The Furious: Process

2010-01-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

The enjoyment that I have found in effecting turn-arounds in both operational and development environments comes from bringing order to chaos. I think it is fun to take charge of something that is broken and fix it. It's about the love of putting things in order (or is it the "need" to put things in order?). This usually takes the form of establishing new and efficient processes, documenting them and then training personnel in their use. There is a lot of work that goes into the last sentence (things I didn't even hint at), but as I said it can be a lot of fun and extremely rewarding.

Working a start-up company can present some of the same challenges and opportunities for "fun", but there are also some key differences. With no established procedures to work with, there is a clean slate on which to make your informed sensible decisions. There are no bad habits to break or mysteries to be solved, it is all about understanding the goals of this new venture and then customizing a successful template that you feel best suits the situation at hand. So again we find "establishing new and efficient processes, documenting them and then training personnel on their use".

One difference in crafting a turn-around at an established company and manning a start-up is the post implementation of your plan. For a turn-around the win is not only to bring the environment to a pre-defined level of achievement, but to implement a continuous improvement plan based on metrics. The procedures that were put into place need to be made up of measurable tasks which provide the metrics necessary for ongoing improvement. This is the hard part - the constant monitoring of the machine and then making the minute adjustments that increase efficiency. In a start-up this task is 100 times more difficult.

The best laid plans of mice and men, right? The ground is never too firm at a start-up, there are just too many variables. What I call "infrastructure processes" are established, providing the stability necessary for the team to move forward. Over time however factors such as the economy, new technology, governmental policy, and input from investors will have an effect on a company's goals and therefore the processes. This effect is amplified for a start-up. Flexibility must be king if the organization is to adapt. This is a different kind of fun.

In a start-up the ground may quake beneath your feet much more frequently and with more volatility. It may not be enough to make minute changes - the whole play book can suddenly be called into question. In conceiving an initial plan, the leader's job is to not only assess the new venture's goals and vision but to then weigh the risk factors that may adversely effect their efforts. For instance, what is the probability that a key governmental policy that is critical to the business will change? With this decision analysis having been done, the best plan for the organization can be established. However, a prudent leader will then staff the new enterprise with energetic and flexible personnel that can weather the exciting and challenging tasks in this fast and furious environment.

~Brian
http://brianleblanc.net

Step 1 - You need source control

2009-12-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

Starting or reorganizing a software development group from the ground up presents many challenges. Creating a group identity, staffing, infrastructure and operations will take endless amounts of time, consideration and then reconsideration. There are usually multiple solutions to any of these high level points and the hundreds of smaller tasks that make them up. The manager's experience and comfort with his/her past implementations should combine with the uniqueness of the current domain to guide them to the correct group implementation on which the development culture will be grown. With so many choices to make and avenues to be investigated any cut and dry decision saves valuable time and allows the manager to focus on the trickier implementation tasks. Source control is one of these slam dunk decisions.

As we all know a source control system could be argued to the top of the engineering necessity check list. It is not a nice to have but a must have. No serious development company can operate without a solution. "Which system is right for us?" becomes the question. A product that is scalable and offers flexibility must also be easy to use and solve the problems that we all found when we were using Source Safe. Finally, how much should be paid and how much time devoted to administration? I have found that the near perfect solution to all of these questions to be Subversion.

Subversion (SVN) started in '99, and was intended to replace CVS with an open source solution. It will secure your source code as well as your documentation. It supports branching and provides documentation on various implementation schemes that you can peruse prior to implementing a process. The latest version makes the merge process simpler and will help alleviate errors. Along with all of these features, SVN can be used via the command line, web or a desktop Explorer add-in "Tortoise". Finally, SVN integrates well with other bug tracking/wiki solutions like trac and jira.

So if you are looking to replace an existing source control system or implement a new one, I recommend that you check out SVN. You'll save money & time and get a robust solution that is easy to use.

Best of luck,
Brian

The QA Trap - part I

2008-09-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Having Quality Assurance resources is truly beneficial to any company producing software. This applies to whether it will be consumed by internal or external customers. Your department’s credibility depends on delivering high quality products. You must keep in mind that your products must meet basic performance expectations, adhere to the original user requirements, not break any other installations or corrupt data, as well as many other criteria that the user will run into through heavy application use over time. Therefore, having an experienced team that is adept at teasing out even the hard to find issues is a serious benefit.

So how can such a noble endeavor go wrong? There are lots of reasons, but the most challenging to control is the effect that occurs when the QA department sits in the shadow of Development.

There is sometime a perception that the QA engineers are inferior technically to the developers. If this is the understanding in your organization, then QA will occupy a lesser position in the social structure. This mindset sets up an environment where development has a greater influence over the solitary QA engineer than is advisable. Take as an example, the constant task of adding new features to your product. Any product in active development (not in maintenance) is continually growing and evolving to attract and keep customers. Too many times however QA is kept out of the process until the last minute for a cursory check. If the environment is 'development-on top', QA will ask look to the engineers for explanations of how the new features are supposed to operate. This puts too much power in the hands of the developer.

The reason for establishing a separate QA resource is to create an environment where an unbiased party can operate the product as a normal user. If they have to take guidance from development as to how or what to test or if behavior is as expected you may as well reassign the resource and let the development team do the testing.

Developers for the most part want to deliver quality products, but they think like developers. QA is there to think like users - smart ones and not so smart ones. Many times QA will create defect tickets to the annoyance of development. You'll hear "what are they doing, no one would do that", "that’s not a bug" and things of this nature. If development can squash a bug or "advise" QA that their test is invalid or even influence the test plans that they create, the product will not be thoroughly tested.

In a subsequent entry to this monograph I'll make QA recommendations.