Collaboration Beyond Code David Weekly, PBwiki eBig Best Practices SIG February 4, 2009

Thesis: Your People Are Smart

Thesis: Your People Are Smart The more they know, the better decisions get made. So stop playing “telephone.”

What do coders spend time on? Coding is the primary activity… But coding itself is not that hard. Most work is in figuring out what to build. (and coding is just being more explicit.)

Coding is the primary activity…

But coding itself is not that hard.

Most work is in figuring out what to build.

(and coding is just being more explicit.)

How do coders excel? Having & mastering the right tools Understanding the problem. Give them more customer access/data!

Having & mastering the right tools

Understanding the problem.

Give them more customer access/data!

How are software projects built? Gather customer inputs. Agree on what to do. Specify what to build. Make sure it gets built. Coordinate the launch. Document the result.

Gather customer inputs.

Agree on what to do.

Specify what to build.

Make sure it gets built.

Coordinate the launch.

Document the result.

PBwiki uses a wiki for all of these. (not surprising)

…there are bad uses for a wiki. Code snippets Why not just make a library / repository? Notated walkthroughs of specific functions These will get stale. Nobody will update them.

Code snippets

Why not just make a library / repository?

Notated walkthroughs of specific functions

These will get stale. Nobody will update them.

1. Gather Customer Inputs Have lots of conversations with customers. Put the raw notes online. (with summaries) Send them out over email, present the results to the whole team in person. Agile = connect coders w/users!

Have lots of conversations with customers.

Put the raw notes online.

(with summaries)

Send them out over email, present the results to the whole team in person.

Agile = connect coders w/users!

2. Drive Internal Consensus Building on #1, come up with ideas for solutions. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can comment. Lets thinking happen outside meetings. Like in the shower. Which is a much better place to think.

Building on #1, come up with ideas for solutions.

Anyone can contribute.

Anyone can comment.

Lets thinking happen outside meetings.

Like in the shower.

Which is a much better place to think.

3. Specify What To Build Progressive advancement of wikipages. Start with executive requirements. Product Manager fills out. Project Manager assigns. Engineers spec the project. The page evolves.

Progressive advancement of wikipages.

Start with executive requirements.

Product Manager fills out.

Project Manager assigns.

Engineers spec the project.

The page evolves.

4. Manage The Building Process Use lightweight project management. Let contributors directly update progress. Have quick in-person checkpoint meetings. Full transparency! The page evolves.

Use lightweight project management.

Let contributors directly update progress.

Have quick in-person checkpoint meetings.

Full transparency!

The page evolves.

5. Coordinate the Launch The code’s in SVN. What now?! Marketing, support, sales, QA… Peer review & development of materials Let developers see how it’s being pitched & contribute (& correct) “ Sorry, what are you saying we have?” Fewer surprises in timing due to visibility.

The code’s in SVN. What now?!

Marketing, support, sales, QA…

Peer review & development of materials

Let developers see how it’s being pitched & contribute (& correct)

“ Sorry, what are you saying we have?”

Fewer surprises in timing due to visibility.

6. Document the Work Spec page evolves into: Public documentation / FAQs Internal/helpdesk knowledgebase Procedure manuals The page evolves.

Spec page evolves into:

Public documentation / FAQs

Internal/helpdesk knowledgebase

Procedure manuals

The page evolves.

Why Wikis? What you need, when you need it. (apologies to the domain squatters.) A tool that evolves with your project! Something that everyone in the company can contribute to and use Versus TXT files in your SVN repository. Versus an MS Project file output as PDF.

What you need, when you need it.

(apologies to the domain squatters.)

A tool that evolves with your project!

Something that everyone in the company can contribute to and use

Versus TXT files in your SVN repository.

Versus an MS Project file output as PDF.

BONUS WIKI USES!!1!11! Automatic enumeration of upcoming deployment changes. Repository for ideas / brainstorms “Didn’t we discuss doing this last year?” Team contact info page

Automatic enumeration of upcoming deployment changes.

Repository for ideas / brainstorms

“Didn’t we discuss doing this last year?”

Team contact info page

Sharing is Caring! Trust your staff! [email_address] David Weekly Founder, PBwiki

Trust your staff!

[email_address]

David Weekly

Founder, PBwiki