Your engineering team wants to dive deeply into the newest programming tool or next generation technology for a mission critical project. How do you balance the promised rewards of a new language, software tool, or hardware technology with the risks of unstable software, hardware that does not work as promised, or new tools that are abandoned? Ellen Shapiro describes how the iOS and Android teams at Vokal approach all the new tools and technologies they evaluate. Discussing manufacturer-built and supported languages like Swift, cutting-edge projects like JetBrains' JVM language Kotlin, Functional Reactive Programming, and the Realm database, Ellen shares how Vokal decides to pursue and test new technologies—and the consequences of those decisions. Once a new tool is ready to test, explore how to take it for a test drive without going down a rabbit hole. Once you’ve decided to try something in production, see how to select the best pieces of your app to work with a new technology—or when to simply rip off the Band-Aid and go all in on the new hotness. Finally, Ellen shares some of Vokal’s mistakes in adopting new tools and technologies, so you and your team can avoid the same problems.
2. Ellen Shapiro
SpotHero
Ellen Shapiro is the former Director of iOS Engineering at Chicago-based
agency Vokal, which helps companies develop and build their vision for taking
advantage of a mobile world. When not working, Ellen partners with designer and
fellow singer-songwriter Aaron Shekey of Github to create the leading
songwriting app Hum. Ellen also writes tutorials for leading iOS tutorial site
RayWenderlich.com and will talk your virtual ear off on Twitter as
@DesignatedNerd
3. BALANCING NEW TOOLS
AND TECHNOLOGIES VS. RISK
ELLEN SHAPIRO | MOBILE + IOT DEV + TEST | APRIL 2016
SPOTHERO.COM | JUSTHUM.COM | DESIGNATEDNERD.COM | @DESIGNATEDNERD
EMBRACING THE NEW HOTNESS,
GENTLYELLEN SHAPIRO | MOBILE + IOT DEV + TEST | APRIL 2016
SPOTHERO.COM | JUSTHUM.COM | DESIGNATEDNERD.COM | @DESIGNATEDNERD
34. MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
> Try something internally first
35. MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
> Try something internally first
> Find times and places to experiment
MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
> Try something internally first
> Find times and places to experiment
> Be mindful of timelines and deadlines
36. MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
> Try something internally first
> Find times and places to experiment
> Be mindful of timelines and deadlines
> If at first you don't succeed, that's OK
MANDATORY SUMMARY SLIDE
> Break off small pieces of larger projects
> Try something internally first
> Find times and places to experiment
> Be mindful of timelines and deadlines
> If at first you don't succeed, that's OK
> you can always try again
38. LINKS! (PT. 1)
> Reactive Forms with RxAndroid: https://www.vokal.io/
labs/reactive-forms-with-rxandroid
> The New vokal.io: https://www.vokal.io/labs/the-new-
vokalio
> Hack Your Way To Great Ideas: https://
blogs.dropbox.com/dropbox/2015/08/hack-your-way-
to-great-ideas/
LINKS! (PT. 2)
> 20% Time vs 120% Time http://qz.com/116196/google-
engineers-insist-20-time-is-not-dead-its-just-turned-
into-120-time/
> The Innovator's dilemma http://www.amazon.com/The-
Innovator-s-Dilemma-Technologies-Management/dp/
1633691780/
39. PHOTO CREDITS (PT. 1)
> Miscellaneous cool toys by thotfulspot https://
www.flickr.com/photos/thotfulspot/6151593033/
> Broken Toy by Michael Coghlan https://
www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/6082137401/
> Reinventing The Wheel by Thomas Guest https://
www.flickr.com/photos/thomasguest/5491482766/
> 2011-0320 by VGB.Studios https://www.flickr.com/
photos/vgb-studios/6605405287
PHOTO CREDITS (PT. 2)
> Share by GotCredit https://www.flickr.com/photos/
jakerust/16639834358/
> You Break It You Buy It by Gregg Tavares https://
www.flickr.com/photos/greggman/235884548/
> What's Next? by sean hobson https://www.flickr.com/
photos/seanhobson/4380105315/
40. PHOTO CREDITS (PT. 3)
> Lego Dungeons and Dragons - Action Points by Marco
Hazard https://www.flickr.com/photos/
42405591@N02/11013256715/
> Little flower sprout grows through urban asphalt
ground by https://www.flickr.com/photos/
138615660@N02/
> Ahchan and iPad by Hajime NAKANO https://
www.flickr.com/photos/jetalone/4694902742/
PHOTO CREDITS (PT. 4)
> 235/365 ...somewhere there is a boundless universe
waiting to be discovered by Iryna Yeroshko https://
www.flickr.com/photos/mandarina94/6267475924
> Edge of the falls by Mig Gilbert https://
www.flickr.com/photos/mig-gilbert/26182478906