Building the OTHER product

There is a lot of focus on feature development and user testing of the user facing product you’re building, but what about the other product?

1. Pink is really under-used in tech slides
2. @jhubert RubyConf 2005
7. Building Products Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash
8. Design Features / Interface Presentation Code Interface Logic Code Database Architecture Server Architecture System Users Ye Old Web Application
9. • Identify the target users • Understand their needs • Come up with ideas for solutions • Design the feature and interface • Test the ideas and collect feedback • Sweat the details • Ship it! • Check to make sure it works Intentional Steps For Making A Great Product
10. Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash IT’S DONE!
12. Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash IT’S NEVER DONE
13. Feature Change! Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash
14. Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
15. # gilfoyle w45 h3r3 def call v=%w{a e i o u} c=[] (?a..?z).map{|i|v.include?(i)||c.push(i)} combos=[] c.map{|i| v.map{|j| combos.push i+j}} i=gets.to_i o="" (i/2).times{o+=combos.sample} if i%2==1 (rand(4)==1?o+=?y:o+=?h) end o.capitalize end
16. It’s not magic. It’s talent and sweat. THAT’s what the #%$& I do.
17. Unlicensed Image Redacted. Basically, it’s a picture of a guy who’s really frustrated because he’s dealing with someone else’s unreadable “magic”
18. the OTHER product
19. Design Features / Interface Presentation Code Interface Logic Code Database Architecture Server Architecture System Users Ye Old Web Application
20. Design Features / Interface Presentation Code Interface Logic Code Database Architecture Server Architecture System Users Ye Old Web Application Users
21. The limit in any organization isn’t resources or time. It’s energy & motivation. Tom Chi Former Head of Experience - Google X
22. Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
23. # gilfoyle w45 h3r3 def call v=%w{a e i o u} c=[] (?a..?z).map{|i|v.include?(i)||c.push(i)} combos=[] c.map{|i| v.map{|j| combos.push i+j}} i=gets.to_i o="" (i/2).times{o+=combos.sample} if i%2==1 (rand(4)==1?o+=?y:o+=?h) end o.capitalize end
24. Be Intentional
25. • Identify the target users • Understand their needs • Come up with ideas for solutions • Design the feature and interface • Test the ideas and collect feedback • Sweat the details • Ship it! • Check to make sure it works Intentional Steps For Making A Great Product
26. R.U.L.E.S • Reasonable: Logical, consistent naming • Usable: Easy to understand how to use it • Legible: Clean, and consistent coding style • Elegant: Use the simplest approach. No over-engineering • Similar: Follows similar patterns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npOGOmkxuio Sandi Metz on the value of conformity
27. 10 Strategies
28. Solve Root Problems Rich Hickey on Solving Hard Problems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f84n5oFoZBc • Understand the problem you’re solving • Write it down • Make sure it’s the right one • gem + hack != magic
29. Make a plan to resolve hacks # This will be removed on # Dec 1 when the … def hack …hackey thing… end
30. Use comments # Get the results of the # calculation def results …bunch of code… end # We don’t know the # results until… def results …bunch of code… end
31. Care about naming def calculate i = fetch_result i * 7483 end def length count = number_of_items count * WIDTH_OF_ITEM end
32. Define patterns
33. Use linters gist.github.com/tjwallace/16009137fdf103110786b9ba32735fd1 Recommended config, thanks to @tjwallace from Zozi:
34. Explain pull-requests
35. Question complexity
36. Abstract necessary complexity Sandi Metz on Go Ahead, Make A Mess https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5I1iyso29U def calculate ReallyComplicated.call end # Very Detailed Comment class ReallyComplicated end
37. Document decisions • What did you consider? • Why was this the best choice?
38. photo by ᨬឡد ng The product is the behavior change you cause in your users. It is not the application you’re building. Tom Chi Former Head of Experience - Google X
39. Build Great Products… Both of them.
40. Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
41. Job Openings: Customer Support Engineer (Jr. Rails Dev) Senior Mobile Engineer (iOS or Android) Jeremy Baker, Co-Founder jeremy@retailzipline.com @jhubert https://speakerdeck.com/jhubert photos courtesy of unsplash.com