Finding The Right Tools For The Job

Jordan Munson talking about how to find the right tools for the job at UserConf Portland, June 26, 2015.

Transcript

1. This is me, Jordan (@jordanmunson) This is my girlfriend, Jenn This is a super chill gorilla statue
2. This is my happy place.
3. Sometimes, folks come over with questions. ?
4. Sometimes there are a lot of people with questions…
5. (Questions are good, and we want to encourage them.)
6. Sometimes I have to chat with the engineering team about those questions. !!!
7. This, generally speaking, was the situation:
8. That situation limited our ability to make customers’ lives better.
9. So what were our needs? • Clearer communication • A reduction of the chaos • A more permanent place for information
10. And what did we do?
11. (Spoiler alert, we made a change.)
12. • Scrapped the old process • Provided structure for “disruption” • Google Docs to keep track of what’s happening
13. This worked. Everyone is happier, and we can rest easy. (For now.)
14. Finding the Right Tools for the Job
15. TOOLS
16. Tools • They’re great, obviously • There are lots of cool tools • You probably shouldn’t use a tool just because it’s cool
17. You can drive a nail with a rock, but there are reasons we use hammers instead.
18. Choosing a tool is less about the tool itself, and more about the workflow you’re creating.
21. First, understand what you want to do. (What are your goals?)
22. Next, think about who is using these tools, and where they’re using them.
23. Tools that exist in an afterthought context are more likely to become exactly that: an afterthought.
24. Assess what tools you currently use, and how they’re solving the existing issue.
25. TEST! Once you’ve landed on a tool, measure and iterate on the workflow with it
26. Some sweet tools I like that you should totally ask me about after this talk • CloudApp • Dash • Alfred • TextExpander
27. Hit me up @jordanmunson jordan@wistia.com