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You probably know hackatons idea, right? For me, it`s just the coolest way to create software. You have 48h or 72h to deliver fully functional application, you camp in one place with team of super-motivated superheroes, buy pizza and beer and just hack together in party-style environment. It`s ofte more like party than work, but still the effect is fully functioning, often stunning application. If you dont believe, just check out these apps: http://railsrumble.com/entries/winners. 48h, duh? After hackatons you just come back to normal environment and get back to projects you have been working on months or years. In this normal world, there is a law that software development is usually a long process, and "this is just how things are". But what if it was possible to get a similar hackathon effect for your application? The idea that struck my mind is simple: let`s take what we can learn from hackatons and apply it to apps we create for ourselves or our clients. At first, it sounds almost impossible, but is it? What we can learn from hackatons: realtime communication. "And not a single mail was sent that day". Just imagine how much faster your application would be shipped if there would be no ten-mail-long conversations with client/designers/product managers about color of totally unimportant button teamwork and responsibility. Everyone is responsible for the whole project. There is no matter if you are designer or developer - the ultimate goal is to deliver working app focus on must-be features, not nice-to-have. We need to deliver something really fast, so there is no time for focusing on this "button color drama". We need to remember that often nice is good enough time pressure. We need to deliver it. If something takes too long, just try to find simpler solution instead of spending a week on it. It makes us more motivated, on the other side it can be stressful. There is no simple answer on this one, but it`s worth to mention. hacking. "I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." - said Bill Gates. On hackatons, we try to find simplest solutions and it turn on different way of thinking. It`s always good to think like a lifehacker. no time for the long process. Process sometimes helps, but always slows us down. In motivated team with good communication there is no need for double-checking and managing. The team manages itself.
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6 things we can learn from hackatons in order to deliver
better software faster
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
What are Hackatons:• probably the coolest way to create software
• 48h to deliver fully functioning application (MVP)
• one place, one team, no distractions
• pizza and beer :)
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
And the effects are often astonishing:
• Teams delivers fully functional MVPs
• They often verify product hypotesis in as fast as 48h
• “Ship it or leave it”
• FUN!
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
Software development is usually a long process
What can we learn from hackatons in order to improve
that?
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
1.Realtime communication• "And not a single mail was sent that day"
• no ten-mail-long conversations with client/designers about color of totally unimportant button
• every decision is made without communiction delays
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
2.Teamwork and responsibility• Everyone is responsible for the whole project
• There is no matter if you are designer or developer - the ultimate goal is to deliver working app
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
3. Focus on must-be features, not nice-to-have
• 80/20: nice is good enough
• there is no time for discussing buttons colors or other unimportant features
• Remember, there will be time for this later. The goal is MVP
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
4. Time pressure• We need to deliver app in 48h
• If something takes too long, just try to !nd simpler solution instead of spending a week on it
• Time pressure often makes us more motivated
• On the other side it can be stressful
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
5. Hacking• "I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy
person will !nd an easy way to do it." - Bill Gates
• Because of time we try to !nd simplest solutions and it turn different way of thinking
• Think as you were a life hacker
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
6. No time for long process• Process sometimes helps, but always slow us down
• In motivated team with good communication there is no need for double-checking and managing
• The team manages itself
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
Now, think how hackaton way of thinking can improve Your
software development process.
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
Thanks! Visit us at 123ship.it
poniedziałek, 25 lutego 13
