Sticking to your guns

Posted on June 15, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

ThinkingThe engaging conversation occurring around “Knowing when to quit” already had me feeling better about the latest Kumquat decisions.

And then I read this from Joel on Software:

Every day you make a tiny bit of progress. You make one thing just a smidgen better.

There are thousands and tens of thousands of these tiny things.

It takes a mindset of constant criticism to find them. You have to reshape your mind until you’re finding fault with everything. Your significant others go nuts. Your family wants to kill you. When you’re walking to work and you see a driver do something stupid, it takes all your willpower to resist going up to the driver and explaining to him why he nearly killed that poor child in the wheelchair.

And as you fix more and more of these little details, as you polish and shape and shine and craft the little corners of your product, something magical happens. The inches add up to feet, the feet add up to yards, and the yards add up to miles. And you ship a truly great product. The kind of product that feels great, that works intuitively, that blows people away. The kind of product where that one-in-a-million user doing that one-in-a-million unusual thing finds that not only does it work, but it’s beautiful: even the janitor’s closets of your software have marble floors and solid core oak doors and polished mahogany wainscoting.

And that’s when you know it’s great software.

And while this focuses on software, the advice is applicable to anything that’s important to you.

(Hat tip to 37signals)

Posted in Criticism, Inspiration, Kumquat, Passion, Perception | Leave a comment

Knowing when to quit

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Cutting it shortAs many of you have surmised, one of the tangential as-the-world-turns subplots of More than a living is following the development of a tool we’re building called Kumquat. As such, we’ve tried to be as open and honest about not only its development, but the mistakes we’ve made along the way.

A few months back, we got really excited. Super excited. Ridiculously excited. Really super ridiculously… Well, you get the picture.

We got excited because, functionally, the tool was just about there. All of the little bits and parts seemed to be working. I had just sketched a UI that would work for the first iteration of the product. All that remained was creating the CSS that would allow the application to look like the sketch.

Now, I’m generally one of those people who is lucky enough to know what I don’t know. And because of that, I try to leave work to the experts.

I didn’t try to build the tool with my coding knowledge, because I knew an expert would provide more value.

I went the same route with the CSS. Hire an expert.

And, at first, it seemed that everything was going along just swimmingly.

But, then, things started to get a bit more hinky. The consistency concerns were almost corrected. The usability issues were sort of addressed. The beauty of the interface was almost there.

But we never got there.

So after a great deal of hand wringing, I made a difficult decision. I pulled the plug on the CSS developer. I knew it was time to quit.

So begins the next chapter of the saga.

“We’re 80 percent of the way there,” I said to myself, blissfully ignoring the good old 80-20 rule and its equally demonic converse. “I’m sure I can put in a few extra hours to drag us over the finish line. I mean, I’m just painting walls and hanging curtains at this point.”

Well, yes. In a sense.

But I was painting walls and hanging curtains in a carefully constructed house of cards.

Tweaking a major element resulted in a cascading avalanche that wreaked havoc throughout the site. Starting at the very most cascaded element resulted in a multitude of other elements shifting around the UI.

It wasn’t pretty. And it didn’t validate.

Pretty soon, I had put in half the time the original effort had taken. Then 100% of the original effort. Then 150%. And all the while we seemed to be losing ground. Not gaining it.

So I talked to some people. People I trust. I asked them to tell me what I already knew. And they did.

So, then I made the hardest decision I’ve had to make, yet.

I told myself to quit.

Not only that, but I decided that we needed to go back to the beginning with the presentation layer, all together. Scrap all the spaghetti code that now existed in a bunch of style sheets. Start fresh.

And, I’m a quitter.

So that is where we are, today.

It was a difficult decision. Even more difficult than holding off on the launch. I don’t like to quit. It has never sat well with me. And it was all the harder to make that decision with something that has had so much of my emotion and sweat in it.

But it was the right one.

So I quit.

We’re tearing the house down to its studs. Fresh paint, window treatments, and all. We’re going back to the bare bones application. And we’re going to start fresh.

Where does that put us in terms of delivery? Hard to say.

But you, gentle reader, will be one of the first to know. After I know.

Posted in Kumquat, Management, Product management | 14 Comments

Top 5 metaphysical requirements for working from home

Posted on June 6, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Working from homeOkay. So here we are. Working from home.

And you, being the smart cookie that you are, have already done your darnedest to either comply with–or refute the necessity of–my “Top 5 physical requirements for working from home.”

So, physically, you’re good.

But what about mentally?

Shifting from the cubicle farm–or even the small office setting–to all by your lonesome can be a disconcerting move.

On one hand, you’re intoxicated by your newfound freedom. On the other, you’re intoxicated by your newfound freedom.

So, I thought I would give you a few mental crutches that, like the physical requirements, will help you stay happy and healthy while working from home. Apparently, they’ll also keep you more busy, because I appear to be incredibly verbose about them.
Bear in mind, this tends to be jaundiced toward the folks who are now out on their own, versus those who still work for someone else, but from home.

In any case, here’s what you need…

  1. A paycheck.
    Sure, sure. You’re a regular Donald Trump with your big fat business account. And you can make a withdrawal any time you feel like it. You’re the CEO, after all. You make the call. And, I know, I spout off all the of time about how work should be about more than a paycheck. But in order for it to be about more than that, it has to be about at least that. And, lest we forget, we (in the United States, at least) have been conditioned from a very early age with a consistent response-and-reward mentality. Be good, get gifts. Go to school, get grades. Go to work, get paid. Setting and sticking to a specific pay period will help you better manage your finances, your cash flow, and your hang-ups about the value of your work. You’re working a job. Pay yourself regularly.
  2. Work hours.
    Again, you’re free as a bird. Now you can come and go as you please. You can work from a park bench with your shiny new laptop. You can get out of bed as late as you want and no one will be asking you where you’ve been. Congratulations! You’ve got enough rope to hang yourself. Set regular work hours and stick to them. This has two distinct benefits, a) If there are other people in your life, they will know when you are working and when you are not, and b) You can’t work all the time. It ain’t healthy. (What’s that? Who told you that? Oh. Well, then do as I say, not as I do.) And discussing work hours, of course, brings us to discussing non-work hours, like…
  3. Vacation.
    You can’t work all of the time. Oh wait. I said that already. But it bears repeating. You may spring out of bed every morning, beaming with pride at your new gig. If you don’t take a vacation from time to time, that won’t last. Trust me. Some people call me a workaholic. I think I’m more addicted to burnout, than work. So this time, I force myself to take time off. To get away. To refresh. I suggest you do the same. No, I meant on your own. You can’t come with me.
  4. Lunch.
    Aside from the nourishment that lunch provides, it also provides an excuse to see other people. Voila! You’re multitasking. In your new role, you’ve likely just removed yourself from physical contact with everyone but your closest friends. If you want to stay in that role and you want those people to remain your friends, it’s best not to be clinging to them for dear life. Get out. Network. See some people who are business acquaintances. Just go eat by yourself and see who you see. Taking a lunch is a good signal that you’re establishing work hours, and you’re willing to give yourself a break. It’s also a good signal that you’re hungry. So go eat. Go out. I mean, weren’t you just the one bragging about your big fat business account? Take a client out. Go.
  5. Educational opportunities.
    You’ll notice that most of these metaphysical requirements are time-management related. Educational opportunities are no different. When you were working for someone else, maybe you had the opportunity to take classes, or go to conferences, or attend local events, or buy books, or whatever. You know why that other person was willing to pay for those? Because they make you a better person. They make you more valuable. If you got up from your desk, right now, and went to a seminar on an interesting topic, you would be more valuable when you came back to finish reading this. I would say you’re more valuable. And, I’d say that even though you rudely left in mid-sentence and came back with a snooty I-know-more-than-you attitude. You know what? You do know more. But only if you take the opportunity to learn. So do it.

Those are my top five. They’re mental and emotional issues on which I’m focusing. And I have a feeling they’re going to help you, too. Did I miss something critical? Do you think I’m getting too touchy feely? I’d love to hear about it.

Posted in Entrepreneur, Experience, Happiness, More than a living, Tips | 5 Comments

Truemors : Guy Kawasaki :: Kumquat : More than a living

Posted on June 5, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Guy KawasakiPart of being happy at work is finding ways to sustain your personal growth. One way to ensure you’re sustaining your personal growth is finding a mentor.

Ideally, that mentor has some sort of relationship with you. However, when push-comes-to-shove, perceived mentors or role models work equally well.

Guy Kawasaki tends to fall in this role model camp for me.

And as such, it’s not very often that I can compare myself to Guy without feeling like a complete liar. But, after reading his post, By the Numbers: How I built a Web 2.0, User-Generated Content, Citizen Journalism, Long-Tail, Social Media Site for $12,107.09, I realize that–thanks to Kumquat–we have some actual similarities with Guy and Truemors.

To wit:

1) 0. I wrote 0 business plans for it. The plan is simple: Get a site launched in a few months, see if people like it, and sell ads and sponsorships (or not).

We wrote 0 business plans for Kumquat, as well! Just a few hours spent jabbering in a coffee shop.

2) 0. I pitched 0 venture capitalists to fund it. Life is simple when you can launch a company with a credit-card level debt.

We don’t even know any venture capitalists!

3) 7.5. 7.5 weeks went by from the time I registered the domain truemors.com to the site going live. Life is also good because of open source and Word Press.

We’ve spent 5 times that amount of time! Take that, Guy!

4) $4,500. The total software development cost was $4,500. The guys at Electric Pulp did the work. Honestly, I wasn’t a believer in remote teams trying to work together on version 1 of a product, but Electric Pulp changed my mind.

We’ve spent $4,500, as well! And then some! With a remote team!

And last, but not least, the one we’re really gunning for…

22) 2. A mere 2 days went by before Truemors was called the “worst website ever” by the Inquirer.

Posted in Kumquat, Mentoring | Leave a comment

Formalize it

Posted on June 4, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Following the formal plan(Feel free to hum along with Peter Tosh while you’re reading this.)

When I was on the corporate side of the desk, I tended to place a great deal of emphasis on writing plans.

So much so, that some people still cringe when I mention that I’m working on a plan.

“Does it have an executive summary?” they ask with a sort of sick desperation.

And with good reason.

My plans have been known to inflict damage when dropped.

Because I get pretty anal about the details. In fact, I try to write my plans so that anyone–and I mean anyone–picking it up could jump right in and work on the project if need be.

I think it’s important to define the scope, roles, responsibilities, objectives, strategies, tactics, and metrics for any effort that requires more than a few people.

Well, I did.

Now that I’ve taken a few black eyes on some recent projects, I’ve changed that opinion. My opinion now is:

I think it’s important to define the scope, roles, responsibilities, objectives, strategies, tactics, and metrics for any effort that requires more than a few people.

You see, when I used to compose plans on the corporate side, I felt the detail was warranted. Because I was working with a bunch of different people in a bunch of different roles. I thought the detail had to be there, simply to serve as a Rosetta Stone for all the varied participants.

While part of the planning effort was a defensive posture, designed to defend my proposed actions, it was driven, primarily, by my understanding that–without that attention to detail–confusion and anarchy could ensue.

Well, it has become painfully clear, on this side of the desk, that that formality is required for any effort, with any number of people. Because without it, confusion and anarchy does ensue.

You can’t do stuff ad hoc. You can’t hope that one person or another will understand what it is they’re supposed to do. You can’t hope that it will somehow all magically come to fruition. You can’t ask people to, “Hey! Let’s guess what’s inside my head!”

If anything, efforts outside the corporate fold are even more confusing that those within it.

Because out here, we’re each our own little anarcho-syndicalist commune. Masters of our own domain. Or any other pithy quote from popular culture you’d like to inject here. Be my guest.

Long story short, out here we all think we know how to do things the best way. That’s why we’re out here.

And we all think about how to do those things quite differently. Again, that’s why we’re out here.

That’s why every project needs formality. To help people understand the proposed roles and objectives.

And if they don’t like it? Great! Find someone who does. Because someone will.

And working with a bunch of folks who clearly understand the expectations and objectives of their engagement, you’re going to be a lot better off in the end. Trust me.

So, whatever it is you’re doing. Formalize it. Right now. Even if it’s already begun.

Posted in Accountability, Communication, Execution, Experience | Leave a comment

Basecamp hates me

Posted on June 1, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Basecamp yells at me about Kumquat

Sigh. Since you asked. Yeah, that’s the long and the short of it.

Kumquat is on the way. Seriously. No, I mean it.

Good thing this is a personal project and not for a real client.

As if I don’t feel bad enough, Basecamp continues to rub it in. Guilting me me, day after day after day.

Hang on, gentle reader. We’ll let you use it. Someday. Maybe.

Posted in Kumquat, Mistakes, Product management | 1 Comment

Deliver bad news early and often

Posted on May 30, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Avoiding the clientSometimes, these things just write themselves. Or I write them, when I’m doing something else. Either way, this little ditty I composed seem worthy of inflicting upon the masses.

I’m going to elaborate a bit on a problem with which I’ve struggled my whole professional life. (I’m sure Toby will be willing to corroborate this.) It has to do with “client service” and “account management.”

And please bear in mind, that even though I refer to your “client,” this could just as easily be your “boss.”

With that said, sally forth, gentle reader.

I hate delivering bad news. And I’ve had a really hard time of it on both the consulting sides and the corporate sides of the desk.

I take it as my making a mistake. Or estimating poorly. Or managing poorly.

So I clam up. I go dark.

And, this tends to cause more problems than not.

Kinda like when those precocious Brady kids were playing ball in the house and broke mom’s vase. But then they didn’t tell her. And then they filled it up with water. And then what happened?

Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.

You see, I’ve discovered that when a client has to ask for bad news, they tend to get pissy. In fact, having to ask tends to perturb them even more than the bad news itself.

Now that I’m in the role of client with Kumquat, I’m discovering that, firsthand.

So, I thought it would be helpful to share some advice that someone much wiser than I imparted to me:

“Deliver bad news early and often.”

Because, lacking any information, the client makes the worst assumptions. Ignorance will cause them to make the situation much more dire than it is.

And really, when it comes right down to it, you can’t avoid delivering the bad news. And if you try, you’re only making it worse.

You’re just delaying the inevitable.

Would that it were that all the projects you manage go along swimmingly. But no project ever does. And nobody is ever perfect. But you’re a lot closer to perfect when you’re open and honest about the situation.

So, tear off that bandage, my friend. With one quick hair-ripping pull. And give your client the bad news.

You’ll feel better. And so will they.

Posted in Communication, Failure, Fear, Honesty, Management, Mistakes, Tips, Transparency | 3 Comments

Alma Pater

Posted on May 24, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Think about itFollow me, if you will, through a little scenario.

Let’s say you get a job offer.

This job entails your spending four years attempting to complete a project. You can take longer. You can take less. But four years is the generally accepted amount of time to complete the project.

You’ll be working with a number of other people pursuing similar projects. And all of you will be guided by a respected management team that has helped innumerable individuals achieve success with similar projects.

Other consultants will advise you from time to time. And you’ll likely wind up on a number of cross-functional teams.

And while both you and the organization will grow in mutual affinity for one another, you will both realize that your tenure with the organization is fleeting. And that one day in the not-too-distant future, you’ll be completing your project and leaving the organization.

You both accept this as fact.

So, four years come and go. Your project completes. And you move on to another organization, with projects anew.

But it’s not the end of your relationship with your former organization.

You get letters and magazines and brochures on a regular basis. They weave stories about what the current employees are doing, what has happened with the organization, what is planned for the future.

Every once in a while, they ask if you’d be willing to participate in events with former co-workers, all of whom are pursuing other interests like you.

They keep the relationship–and your emotional connection to the organization–alive and well through these efforts.

And all of this is based upon an understanding. An understanding of planned obsolescence. An understanding that, while you won’t be retiring from that organization, you will have a lifelong relationship with them.

Oopie. One thing I forgot to mention up there at the top: you have to pay to work there. And after you leave? You’ll still get requests to pay from time to time.

Interesting. You would pay for that experience and to establish that relationship.

Now, if we can establish that kind of relationship with an organization that we paid, why can’t we come to a similar understanding with the organizations that are paying us?

Maybe there’s room for an Alma Pater? That is, if those organizations paying us could learn a little from an Alma Mater.

Posted in Corporate Culture, Employment, Loyalty | 3 Comments

Performance Reviews – Then What?

Posted on May 23, 2007 by Toby Lucich

You’ve had your review. Hopefully with feedback from many, likely with input and reflections just from your manager.

No one becomes “valued” doing just their one thing – we are all replaceable when we fail to differentiate against our stereotype or next-best candidate for the job. You can be the most brilliant, wicked smart recruiter (or tax accountant or programmer) on the street, but if all you do is take orders and execute, you are valued based on your tactical contributions. True or not, the market perception is that tactics can be delivered by any fellow with a similar resume. And to a large degree, rightly so.
What are you doing to outgrow your last performance review? Are you more than tactical delivery? Who is singing your songs of greatness?

Posted in Communication, Develop, Execution | 2 Comments

Top 5 physical requirements for working from home

Posted on May 18, 2007 by Rick Turoczy

Working from homeAs more and more of us move from the corporate office to the home office, I find that we’re all battling with a workspace-within-my-personal-space issue.

By working from home, you just increased your accessibility–to both clients and your family–by tenfold. And the fact that you’re sitting at home, banging away on your keyboard in the exact same way you used to surf the Web at night, makes it a bit difficult for the other people in your life to realize that you are, in fact, earning a living.

Establishing a physical workspace will help.

So, here, in my experience, are the top 5 tangible objects you need if you’re going to be successful working from home:

  1. A door
    I know this one may sound a little strange. I mean, who don’t have a door? But you’d be surprised how many folks try to utilize a workspace that is open to the general flow of the house. You need a way to establish a boundary to your workspace. A door is the best way to do this. Maybe even a door with a lock. Me? I use your state-of-the-art hollow frame door, and I close it whenever I walk into the office.
  2. An office chair
    You’re going to be parked on your heinie for a good part of the day in your now-well-defined workspace. Your chair will be your saving grace. The longer you can sit comfortably, the better off you’ll be. Don’t skimp. This is your body and your health we’re talking about here. Get the best possible chair that you can. Me? I went for the Mirra Task Chair. A little spendy. True. But much less than the Eames Management Chair over which I was drooling.
  3. A desk
    Don’t try to use a coffee table as your desk. It just won’t work. You’ve been conditioned through years of schooling and corporate life to understand the importance of the desk. It’s both an emotional and physical support for you. Don’t deny it. Again. Don’t skimp. You’re going to be banging on this thing on a daily basis. Me? I went for an open, table-style desk with a return. This gives me plenty of space for two machines with two monitors. And I’m not banging my legs into storage units as I swivel back and forth.
  4. A laptop
    While it’s good to establish your workspace boundaries, that needn’t mean you’re tethered to a desk. Spend some cash to get the best laptop you can. This is the most important tool you will likely purchase for your business, so don’t cut corners. You’ve done well if you get squawks from clients like, “Did I fund that purchase?” Well done. Me? I went for the MacBook Pro. It allows me to run both the MacOS and Windows, so I’m prepared for any type of client request or file format. I also have a Dell Tower that I use for more intensive Windows work.
  5. A monitor
    I know you love your shiny new laptop. You’re all excited about the hours you’ll spend at your local Starbucks or wi-fi spot, banging away. But, fact of the matter is, you’re going to be spending a lot of time sitting in your house working, too. And for that, a monitor is critical. I find myself sliding over to my PC all of the time, instead of my laptop. Why? The monitor. I’m constantly looking down at my laptop. It’s uncomfortable. So, a monitor for my laptop is my next critical purchase. I’m telling you, it makes work easier. Trust me.

How does my top 5 sync up with yours? Am I crazy in some of my suggestions? I’d love to hear your take.

Posted in Career, Culture, Tips, Workplace | 13 Comments