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Workshop: Studio Operations & Forecasting: The ...

Rob
November 09, 2018

Workshop: Studio Operations & Forecasting: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

“You won’t be in control of your business until you can accurately predict it.” One of Rob Harr’s early mentors and business advisors must have said that a thousand times during their time together—and it’s true. Join Rob Harr, Vice President of Sparkbox, for a deep dive into studio operations and forecasting. Take a guided tour through the good, the bad and the ugly, and uncover actionable strategies to help you take control of your business.

Get an inside look at how Sparkbox runs, and how you can put forecasting at the heart of your business to improve project planning, cash flow, hiring, sales and more.

Discover a relatively simple weekly cadence to implement (that doesn’t lose sight of your people).

Dig into metrics to determine what you should track and what’s just noise. Before long, you’ll actually be in charge of your business.

WHAT WE'LL COVER
-What is Studio Operations?
-The difference between operations and project management
-Where to start with forecasting
-Improving forecasting through feedback loops
-Predicting and managing cash flow
-Getting your entire team involved

Rob

November 09, 2018
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Transcript

  1. Studio Operations & Forecasting: The Good, the Bad & the

    Ugly Or… What I wish someone had told me about running a studio 10 years ago.
  2. I AM NOT A LAWYER! This is really small print

    that Rob Harr is not a lawyer. All of the things that he says should be checked with an actual lawyer who know what the heck they are doing. This is not a time that I would suggest that you “Better call Saul”.
  3. Agenda Part 1: Backstory Part 2: Designing Operations Part 3:

    Forecasting Part 4: Outcomes Part 5: Lunch! Part 6: Anything goes
  4. +

  5. “You won’t be in control of your business until you

    can accurately predict it.” ~Geoff Mandeville
  6. Our Fake Team - Individual rates - 4x $45k $80k

    $100k $60k Salary $21 $38 $48 $28 Hourly Cost
  7. Our Fake Team - Individual rates - 4x $84 $152

    $192 $112 Bill Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38 $48 $28 Hourly Cost
  8. Blended Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38 $48

    $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost Our Fake Team
  9. Blended Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38 $48

    $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost 4x Multiplier Our Fake Team
  10. Blended Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38 $48

    $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost 4x Multiplier $135 Bill Rate Our Fake Team
  11. Value Hourly Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38

    $48 $28 Hourly Cost Our Fake Team
  12. Value Hourly Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38

    $48 $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost Our Fake Team
  13. Value Hourly Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38

    $48 $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost ? Fuzzy Math Our Fake Team
  14. Value Hourly Rate $45k $80k $100k $60k Salary $21 $38

    $48 $28 Hourly Cost $33.75Average 
 Hourly Cost ? Fuzzy Math $185 Bill Rate Our Fake Team
  15. 20% 5% 6% 11% 58% Your Budget 58% Compensation 11%

    General + Admin 6% Rent 5% Advertising
  16. 20% 5% 6% 11% 58% Your Budget 58% Compensation 11%

    General + Admin 6% Rent 5% Advertising 20% Net Margin
  17. 32

  18. 80%

  19. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at

    9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices MicroCash updated Future P&L updated $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s All-Team Demo Forecasting updated
  20. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at

    9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  21. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Late Invoices Sales Report Weekly

    Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  22. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday MicroCash updated Future P&L updated

    $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  23. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday MicroCash updated Future P&L updated

    $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  24. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday MicroCash updated Future P&L updated

    $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices All-Team Demo Forecasting updated
  25. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday MicroCash updated Future P&L updated

    $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices All-Team Demo Forecasting updated
  26. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday MicroCash updated Future P&L updated

    $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices TAN GEN T! All-Team Demo Forecasting updated
  27. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Morning yoga Coffee Afternoon Golf

    league Morning Lifting Coffee Morning Lifting Coffee Weekly Breakfast Blocked Lunch TAN GEN T!
  28. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday All-Team Demo Forecasting updated MicroCash

    updated Future P&L updated $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  29. What we think of as magic is what we have

    yet to completely understand.
  30. The first step in developing this superpower is to be

    able to measure what happened yesterday.
  31. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Timesheets due at 9:30 am

    Forecasting updated before close of business
  32. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Timesheets due at 9:30 am

    Forecasting updated before close of business ForecastBot runs at 9:00 am Individual sheets updated
  33. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Forecasting updated MicroCash updated Future

    P&L updated $$ Meeting Humans Meeting Late Invoices Sales Report Director 1:1’s Weekly Breakfast TimeSheets due at 9:30 am Projects Stand-up Prepare and Send Invoices
  34. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Timesheets due at 9:30 am

    Forecasting updated before close of business ForecastBot runs at 9:00 am Individual sheets updated MicroCash updated
  35. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Timesheets due at 9:30 am

    Forecasting updated before close of business ForecastBot runs at 9:00 am Individual sheets updated MicroCash updated Weekly sales report
  36. Winning in business is when our capacity for sales is

    bigger than our capacity to do the work.
  37. We are bad at estimating work because we are optimistic.

    Reason 1: Reason 2: Clients are really bad at describing their actual needs. Estimating software projects is impossible because:
  38. We are bad at estimating work because we are optimistic.

    Reason 1: Reason 2: Clients are really bad at describing their actual needs. Business needs change over time. Reason 3: Estimating software projects is impossible because:
  39. The best part of our companies is that they are

    made up of humans. The worst part of our companies is that they are made up of humans.
  40. The best part of our companies is that they are

    made up of humans. Humans sometimes suck. The worst part of our companies is that they are made up of humans.
  41. Accept the fact that you will be completely wrong about

    things that you are sure you learned.
  42. Life is too short to work with people you hate.

    Rob’s two basic rules for happiness in business: Rule 1:
  43. If you ever become annoyed by a client, it is

    only because you’re not charging them enough money. Life is too short to work with people you hate. Rob’s two basic rules for happiness in business: Rule 1: Rule 2: