Applying Lean Startup and Agile Architecture in an Enterpriseu Tang Tze Chin & Mazharul Anwar

About SEEK Asia

Market Challenges● 53% of South East Asian live in

rural areas with limited access to jobs.

● 72% of employees are not happy at work.

● 96% of employers can’t find the right talent.

Our Business

● We operate in seven countries:● Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam

● Multiple Brands

Improving Lives Through Better Careers

About Us

About Tze• Change-maker• Ex-Engineer / Agile Coach

/ Manager• 12+ years in the agile

space.• Agile Malaysia Community

Organizer• Startup mentor

About Maz• Software Engineer• @mazharul_anwar• mazharul@seekasia.com• Multiple-startup founder

The Constraints

Scale

Pace of CompetitionLegacy

Scale● ~20 million applies per month.● 99.997% target uptime.

Speed of Competition● We compete against Indeed.com, Monster.com,

LinkedIn● Facebook & Google on the horizon.

Legacy● We were part of the .com boom, the FIRST one!● Twenty years of accumulated history and systems.

Concepts at Play

Lean Startup

Source: http://bit.ly/roach_startupSource: http://bit.ly/lean_startup_sgsin

Architecture Runway

Source: http://bit.ly/sbde_sgsinSource: http://bit.ly/arch_runway_sgsin

vs

Legacy RetirementDefinition

A system which currently delivers business value, however is in need of replacement.

Considerations for Retirement• Effort Cost

• To maintain vs to rebuild• Risk

• Business loss vs Opportunity Cost

• Value• Current business value vs

future value

The How of ScalingScaling Quantums

1 100 10,000 100,000 All

What Happens at Each Quantum?

At 1• Separate the problem and technical solution domains. Under the

problem at the single user level.• Hack it out.

At 100: • Scale understanding of the problem to a group of users. • Scale the hack.

What Happens at Each Quantum?

At 10,000: • Test the solution for solution / problem fit. • Run hypothesis-driven experiments.• Begin solutioning, start development from scratch if required.

Use what has been previously learnt.

At 100,000• Continue validation of problem. Test with more users, multiple-

segments of users.• Validate architectural assumptions, adjust if necessary.

What Happens at Each Quantum?

All• Release to all

markets and brands.

Hypothesis Testing About Us

• Build hypothesis around your idea• Measure everything• Support your hypothesis with data• Does the legacy behavior make sense ?

Greenfield project• Build for 1 user• Delivery pipeline

• Build a fastest possible delivery pipeline• Use the fastest possible way to production• Metrics, metrics , metrics!

Version Zero

If you aren't embarrassed by the first version of your product, you shipped too late. - Reid Hoffman

Legacy Software

• Understand when to re-build• Obsolete technology• Maintainer still alive ?• First law of holes: When you are in one, stop digging.

• Are you just rebuilding your legacy software or delivering value to the user ?

Decoupling

• A good way to understand a legacy software is to try and decouple them

• Decoupled module can be built and scaled independently

A/B testing ( Split Testing)

• Understand the difference and production output from both old and new system

• Detect anomalies • Helps to do incremental changes and performance

iterations• Measure outcomes

Strangler Pattern

https://umtrees.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/strangler.jpg

Rebuilding Safely

Event InterceptionTransform, Coexist, Eliminate

https://www.martinfowler.com/bliki/StranglerApplication.html

Case #1: Post-apply Job Recommendation

Case #2: Real time notification system

Q&A

Tze Chin Tanglinkedin.com/in/tzetang/@tzetangtctang@seekasia.com

Mazharul Anwarlinkedin.com/in/mazharul@mazharul_anwarmazharul@seekasia.com