The Project From Hell - And How To Handle It (PHP NorthWest 2017)

Not all projects are created equal. Next to those awesome projects where everything is perfect, including the end product you deliver to the client, there's also the projects you hate and wished you'd never taken on. During this talk, I'll tell you about some of the projects I've been on that were all but perfect and how I handled them, or should've handled them.

Transcript

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2. I'm NOT Andrew Moore
   Sorry for that
   

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3. Project from hell
   And how to handle it
   PHPNW17
   September 30, 2017
   @skoop
   

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4. Disclaimer
   I am not bashing here
   

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5. Disclaimer
   I am not bashing here
   — It's about the lessons learned
   

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6. Who
   has also had a project from hell?
   

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7. Project 1: Ge!ing up to speed
   

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10. Project 1: Ge!ing up to speed
    Lessons learned
    

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11. Project 1: Ge!ing up to speed
    Lessons learned
    — Take learning curve into account
    

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12. Project 1: Ge!ing up to speed
    Lessons learned
    — Take learning curve into account
    — Make sure you have full specs
    

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13. Project 1: Ge!ing up to speed
    Lessons learned
    — Take learning curve into account
    — Make sure you have full specs
    — Avoid deadlines
    

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14. Project 2: Never went into
    production
    

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17. Project 2: Never went into production
    Lessons learned
    

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18. Project 2: Never went into production
    Lessons learned
    — Take the learning curve into account
    

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19. Project 2: Never went into production
    Lessons learned
    — Take the learning curve into account
    — Get clear specifications
    

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20. Project 3: Why doesn't it
    work?
    

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23. Project 3: Why doesn't it work?
    Lessons learned
    

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24. Project 3: Why doesn't it work?
    Lessons learned
    — Go beyond PHP
    

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25. Project 3: Why doesn't it work?
    Lessons learned
    — Go beyond PHP
    — Specifications! Specifications! Specifications!
    

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26. Project 4: What am I here for?
    

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28. Project 4: What am I here for?
    Lessons learned
    

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29. Project 4: What am I here for?
    Lessons learned
    — Try to stay out of politics
    

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30. Project 4: What am I here for?
    Lessons learned
    — Try to stay out of politics
    — If you get caught up, stay objective
    

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31. Project 5: Of course I'll help
    you
    

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33. Project 5: Of course I'll help you
    Lessons learned
    

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34. Project 5: Of course I'll help you
    Lessons learned
    — Did I mention specs yet?
    

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35. Project 5: Of course I'll help you
    Lessons learned
    — Did I mention specs yet?
    — Think business
    

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36. Project 5: Of course I'll help you
    Lessons learned
    — Did I mention specs yet?
    — Think business
    — Focus on customer needs, not customer wants
    

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37. Project 6: Let's work together
    again!
    

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41. Project 6: Let's work together again!
    Lessons learned
    

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42. Project 6: Let's work together again!
    Lessons learned
    — Ensure projects are within your accepted travel reach
    

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43. Project 6: Let's work together again!
    Lessons learned
    — Ensure projects are within your accepted travel reach
    — Get all agreements with customers on paper and
    signed
    

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44. Project 6: Let's work together again!
    Lessons learned
    — Ensure projects are within your accepted travel reach
    — Get all agreements with customers on paper and
    signed
    — Be prepared to work with people you don't like (or
    have an exit)
    

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45. More projects?
    

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46. Questions?
    

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47. Thank you
    @skoop
    h!ps://le"ontheweb.com/
    h!ps://joind.in/talk/0d9d0
    

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