What a difference a week makes. Last week this time I was nervously awaiting the start of my next adventure at @Task. This week, I am wondering if someone got the license plate of the trunk that ran me over (being metaphorical here...).
I think that the most apt analogy for what working at @Task in the IT Operations team is like is the game of dodgeball that I participated in last Monday. It was the tenth birthday of @Task, and what does one do on their tenth birthday? Yes, you are correct, you throw inflatable balls at one another.
As the week moved on, I realized that I would be well served to remember the lessons learned in the dodgeball game:
1 - The best defense is a good offense
2 - Do not take your eye off the ball
3 - There are those who will try to deceive you into thinking that they are not armed. Be ready for anything.
4 - Your team is the most important asset you have. Put your trust in them to protect your blind spots.
The first week at a new company is always stressful and surreal. You are an outsider, and everyone you meet has the same "who the Hell are you" look when first introduced. You also have this strange halo effect which causes people to think that you are smarter than you really are. Actually, this halo effect has a half life of about six weeks, but starts to decay after about four.
Adding to the first week bizarreness, my boss was out for the last couple of days, so I had to jump into the deep end of the pool, grab an anchor and start swimming. I actually would not have it any other way, but it is still unsettling to take that leap.
I am still getting my bearings and will be gathering copious amounts of data over the upcoming weeks, but the good news here is that I have been here before and know these waters well. In fact, this opportunity fits perfectly within my sweet spot and I will be able to use all the clubs in my bag.
I am very glad that this weekend was relatively tranquil as I needed it to decompress and gird myself for the upcoming week.
I find myself thinking more and about the lessons learned from Dodgeball and I am nervously awaiting the whistle blow.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
What is it with QA these days?
Here is a sad fact for you; the last time I worked for a company with a strong, independent and respected QA dept was over six years ago. That company was LowerMyBills, and they had a killer QA department which contributed greatly to the overall success of the product and company.
So what is it with QA these days and why are good QA people so hard to find and retain?
Some thoughts are that once a company has found a QA tester worth his/her salt, they hide them away and keep them captive with "golden handcuffs" so they will not be tempted to seek out greener pastures.
Another thought is that QA is often used as the incubator from which development is fed so you have a perpetual cycle of brain drain. Still another theory is that QA testers are not born, they are developed and that takes both time and effort, both of which are in often times in short supply in a fast moving company.
Regardless of what is truth and what is fiction, one thing is for certain, when you have a strong, independent and respected QA department within your organization, your company is able to accomplish amazing things. Without out one, your organization will be in perpetual firefighting mode as defects leak out into production and your clients unknowingly become your beta testers.
As a leader of an Operations team, I am repeatedly reminded of the pricelessness of a QA team who are not beholden to engineering or operations, and are free to be an unbiased proving ground for your product. The sad truth is that often organizations place QA under the direction of engineering, which frankly is just incestuous, or under the direction of operations, which is almost as bad.
What is worse, I have often times observed QA being hobbled either by misalignment within the organization, poor staffing or insufficient experience, pillaging from other departments and/or an unclear mandate regarding the importance of quality within the organization.
In my opinion (and the opinion of many others I have spoken with) QA must be free and independent and should report directly to a "C" level executive like a COO or CIO (not CTO) and should be held to stringent standards. Additionally, they should be given the ability to "pull the cord" and halt production in the event egregious quality issues are identified. Without these qualities, your QA department is at best little more than a rubber stamp and at worst, a scapegoat for all of your organization's ills.
I am interested to hear what others have experienced and what they have done to help solve this problem. I am also interested to hear your thoughts about how we, as IT professionals, can help guide young people into becoming QA tester and engineers instead of code jockeys.
In the end, QA may not be the sexiest job in IT, but I think you will agree that it is arguably the most important link in the chain and should be celebrated as such.
So what is it with QA these days and why are good QA people so hard to find and retain?
Some thoughts are that once a company has found a QA tester worth his/her salt, they hide them away and keep them captive with "golden handcuffs" so they will not be tempted to seek out greener pastures.
Another thought is that QA is often used as the incubator from which development is fed so you have a perpetual cycle of brain drain. Still another theory is that QA testers are not born, they are developed and that takes both time and effort, both of which are in often times in short supply in a fast moving company.
Regardless of what is truth and what is fiction, one thing is for certain, when you have a strong, independent and respected QA department within your organization, your company is able to accomplish amazing things. Without out one, your organization will be in perpetual firefighting mode as defects leak out into production and your clients unknowingly become your beta testers.
As a leader of an Operations team, I am repeatedly reminded of the pricelessness of a QA team who are not beholden to engineering or operations, and are free to be an unbiased proving ground for your product. The sad truth is that often organizations place QA under the direction of engineering, which frankly is just incestuous, or under the direction of operations, which is almost as bad.
What is worse, I have often times observed QA being hobbled either by misalignment within the organization, poor staffing or insufficient experience, pillaging from other departments and/or an unclear mandate regarding the importance of quality within the organization.
In my opinion (and the opinion of many others I have spoken with) QA must be free and independent and should report directly to a "C" level executive like a COO or CIO (not CTO) and should be held to stringent standards. Additionally, they should be given the ability to "pull the cord" and halt production in the event egregious quality issues are identified. Without these qualities, your QA department is at best little more than a rubber stamp and at worst, a scapegoat for all of your organization's ills.
I am interested to hear what others have experienced and what they have done to help solve this problem. I am also interested to hear your thoughts about how we, as IT professionals, can help guide young people into becoming QA tester and engineers instead of code jockeys.
In the end, QA may not be the sexiest job in IT, but I think you will agree that it is arguably the most important link in the chain and should be celebrated as such.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
It is official, you are reading the blog of the new Senior Manager, IT Operations at @Task. To say that I am excited about this new opportunity would be the understatement of the year.
As I begin this new exciting adventure, as the title of this posting says, it also means that my last adventure officially comes to an end. I would be lying if I did not say that this is more than a little bittersweet for me. My time at Kynetx was nothing less than amazing and I will remember it very fondly. I also want to thank Steve, Phil and the entire Kynetx team for their love and support as I embark on this new chapter of my career.
One of the things that attracted me to @Task was the fact that I would be working with three gentlemen from my past, namely Nate, Otto and Jeff. I first encountered these fine individuals when I was at Excite@Home (hmm, something about the "@" sign...). When that company imploded, we all went our separate ways, they stayed in Utah county and I went to CA.
Nate started @Task as a founder and currently holds the position of CTO. Otto and Jeff went to other companies and continued to work at their crafts and sharpen their skills to the point of mastery. They eventually found their way to @Task and have taken up postions that align perfectly with their skills.
When things changed at Kynetx Jeff and Nate reached out to me and expressed interest in bringing me in for a "sit down." This first meeting kicked of a series of meetings, phone calls and emails as we worked through the details of getting me on the bus. As we continued to talk, I was not quite sure where it was going to end up, but I always believed that we would come to a decision point in short order. That decision point ended up manifesting itself in the form of a employment offer.
So starting Monday, I will be traveling the I-15 corridor Southbound to building K on the old WordPerfect campus to start my new adventure leading an amazing team of IT professionals. This team is responsible for the care and feeding of the production computing platforms which serve clients like GE, Apple and Toyota just to name a few. We have our work cut out for us as @Task embarks on its own adventure of growth and market leadership.
I fully expect that this new beginning will test and stretch my abilities as a leader and technologist, but if it didn't, then it wouldn't be fun or interesting now would it.
In closing I would like to thank Nate, Jeff and Otto for their generosity and consideration. I would also like to thank the team I am about to assume the leadership of. They are really good guys and I impressed with their ability to metabolize change, even change of this magnitude. I know that it is not easy to welcome a new member, but they have done an admirable job of making me feel welcome.
So onward and upward I go.
As I begin this new exciting adventure, as the title of this posting says, it also means that my last adventure officially comes to an end. I would be lying if I did not say that this is more than a little bittersweet for me. My time at Kynetx was nothing less than amazing and I will remember it very fondly. I also want to thank Steve, Phil and the entire Kynetx team for their love and support as I embark on this new chapter of my career.
One of the things that attracted me to @Task was the fact that I would be working with three gentlemen from my past, namely Nate, Otto and Jeff. I first encountered these fine individuals when I was at Excite@Home (hmm, something about the "@" sign...). When that company imploded, we all went our separate ways, they stayed in Utah county and I went to CA.
Nate started @Task as a founder and currently holds the position of CTO. Otto and Jeff went to other companies and continued to work at their crafts and sharpen their skills to the point of mastery. They eventually found their way to @Task and have taken up postions that align perfectly with their skills.
When things changed at Kynetx Jeff and Nate reached out to me and expressed interest in bringing me in for a "sit down." This first meeting kicked of a series of meetings, phone calls and emails as we worked through the details of getting me on the bus. As we continued to talk, I was not quite sure where it was going to end up, but I always believed that we would come to a decision point in short order. That decision point ended up manifesting itself in the form of a employment offer.
So starting Monday, I will be traveling the I-15 corridor Southbound to building K on the old WordPerfect campus to start my new adventure leading an amazing team of IT professionals. This team is responsible for the care and feeding of the production computing platforms which serve clients like GE, Apple and Toyota just to name a few. We have our work cut out for us as @Task embarks on its own adventure of growth and market leadership.
I fully expect that this new beginning will test and stretch my abilities as a leader and technologist, but if it didn't, then it wouldn't be fun or interesting now would it.
In closing I would like to thank Nate, Jeff and Otto for their generosity and consideration. I would also like to thank the team I am about to assume the leadership of. They are really good guys and I impressed with their ability to metabolize change, even change of this magnitude. I know that it is not easy to welcome a new member, but they have done an admirable job of making me feel welcome.
So onward and upward I go.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sam needed a hug today
I attended the "all-hands" meeting at Kynetx today to perform a post mortem on Impact 2011 and discuss strategic plans for Kynetx for the foreseeable future.
As we began the meeting, we all recounted our post Impact weekends and how most of us had found the downtime to be very rejuvenating. As we got down to the business of building a priority list of all of the things that need to get done, my friend Sam interupted and said (paraphrasing here), " I had a much different weekend then the rest of you. I did not find peace or solace, instead I found only dispair."
Silence permeated the room.
Needless to say, Sam needed a hug.
Here is the deal with Sam, I genuinely love this guy. He is brilliant and one of the most well adjusted humans I have met in my life. He is also very easy to read. Sam does not mask his emotions well (this is a feature, not a bug) and you can devine the "Sam weather report" pretty darn quickly if you care to look.
So when he spoke up in the meeting this morning, I was surprised, not by the fact he said something but by the velocity at which it all came tumbling out. It was obvious that Sam was in dispair and dwelling in a dark place because he felt that he was drowning.
What happened next was awesome.. Sam got a metaphorical group hug from the team in the room and a real hug from our CFO Roy. The group hug manifested in the form of "big ears" listening to not only the words Sam was saying, but also to what he was not saying. Because we all knew Sam and cared to listen, we very quickly knew what we needed to do in order to pull him out of his dark place.
This is what happens when you are part of a team who cares equally about the mental health of the humans and the business. I firmly believe that the mental health of humans and business are not mutually exclusive but are in fact are mutually dependent. This may seem obvious to some, but you would be shocked how many people get this wrong and forget that they are coupled. When you keep you business sane, you can drive your people crazy and the converse is true as well
As leaders, it is our duty to maintain sanity and promote good mental health for both our people and for our businesses. This often is hard work and can get very messy sometimes, but the upside for taking the time and making the effort is often huge.
Those who choose not to heed this advice do so at their own peril.
When the meeting was over, Sam was rescued from the jaws of dispair and once again dwelled in the light, and we had a comprehensive list of things to keep everyone busy for the next six months.
I believe that balance has once again been restored and the mental well being of both Sam and Kynetx are intact.
As we began the meeting, we all recounted our post Impact weekends and how most of us had found the downtime to be very rejuvenating. As we got down to the business of building a priority list of all of the things that need to get done, my friend Sam interupted and said (paraphrasing here), " I had a much different weekend then the rest of you. I did not find peace or solace, instead I found only dispair."
Silence permeated the room.
Needless to say, Sam needed a hug.
Here is the deal with Sam, I genuinely love this guy. He is brilliant and one of the most well adjusted humans I have met in my life. He is also very easy to read. Sam does not mask his emotions well (this is a feature, not a bug) and you can devine the "Sam weather report" pretty darn quickly if you care to look.
So when he spoke up in the meeting this morning, I was surprised, not by the fact he said something but by the velocity at which it all came tumbling out. It was obvious that Sam was in dispair and dwelling in a dark place because he felt that he was drowning.
What happened next was awesome.. Sam got a metaphorical group hug from the team in the room and a real hug from our CFO Roy. The group hug manifested in the form of "big ears" listening to not only the words Sam was saying, but also to what he was not saying. Because we all knew Sam and cared to listen, we very quickly knew what we needed to do in order to pull him out of his dark place.
This is what happens when you are part of a team who cares equally about the mental health of the humans and the business. I firmly believe that the mental health of humans and business are not mutually exclusive but are in fact are mutually dependent. This may seem obvious to some, but you would be shocked how many people get this wrong and forget that they are coupled. When you keep you business sane, you can drive your people crazy and the converse is true as well
As leaders, it is our duty to maintain sanity and promote good mental health for both our people and for our businesses. This often is hard work and can get very messy sometimes, but the upside for taking the time and making the effort is often huge.
Those who choose not to heed this advice do so at their own peril.
When the meeting was over, Sam was rescued from the jaws of dispair and once again dwelled in the light, and we had a comprehensive list of things to keep everyone busy for the next six months.
I believe that balance has once again been restored and the mental well being of both Sam and Kynetx are intact.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
It's all about the love
A very good friend of mine, Mr, Chris Perry, sent me a note this morning about a video that he found on YouTube. The video was produced buy the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts and has a most interesting topic: Drive - what motivates us.
As a student of Human behavior, I have discovered that what compels a person to get up out of bed every morning and go to work is rarely the paycheck that they receive on pay day. In fact, if the compelling reason IS the pay check, you should really find another occupation, but that is for a different blog post.
As I watched this video, I began to get very excited as it coalesced and crystalized a number of disperate thoughts that have roamed around my brain for years. First and foremost, it validated my belief that if you want a person to perform at a high level, money is rarely a prime motivator. In fact, I NEVER have been motivated by money, I have ALWAYS been motivated by doing something that I love and have passion for.
This is not to say that money is not nice, it is, as I enjoy being able to provide my family the things they need to survive. What I am saying is that I do not get up in the morning and think to myself "Man, I love going to work so I ca earn money!!" Instead, I get up and say "What great things can get accomplished today?" or "How can I help someone accomplish great things today?" This is what I love to do. This is where my passion sources from. I love being around people who are at the top of their game and help them achieve even more than they thought they were capable of. I also love finding out what a person's "currency" is and use it to motivate them to attain their goals. Your currency is not a financial term, instead it is the thing that makes you feel alive, connected and engaged to something. It is what pays off your ego and feeds your soul and keeps you coming back for more, even when you have a knock down, bang you head against the wall shitty day.
Another thought that came to clarity for me today was that I am a born leader of humans! I have always enjoyed leading, but I realized it is in my DNA. I say this because the speaker was speaking about concepts and findings that I instinctively knew. These concepts and findings are the bedrock of my leadership style and have served me and my employers very well over that last 10 years.
A word of friendly advice, if you are suppose to be a leader of human beings, and you think that money is a prime motivator of great people, you REALLY need to find another career. Seriously, you do...no really.. believe me, I am not lying to you.
Now this all may sound a little self serving, I will admit that it is a little bit, but my main reason for sharing this with you is to bear my testimony that Dan Pink speaks the truth. I also want it to be known that this is what I believe in and how I lead, so if you ever had any question, well... now you know.
As a student of Human behavior, I have discovered that what compels a person to get up out of bed every morning and go to work is rarely the paycheck that they receive on pay day. In fact, if the compelling reason IS the pay check, you should really find another occupation, but that is for a different blog post.
As I watched this video, I began to get very excited as it coalesced and crystalized a number of disperate thoughts that have roamed around my brain for years. First and foremost, it validated my belief that if you want a person to perform at a high level, money is rarely a prime motivator. In fact, I NEVER have been motivated by money, I have ALWAYS been motivated by doing something that I love and have passion for.
This is not to say that money is not nice, it is, as I enjoy being able to provide my family the things they need to survive. What I am saying is that I do not get up in the morning and think to myself "Man, I love going to work so I ca earn money!!" Instead, I get up and say "What great things can get accomplished today?" or "How can I help someone accomplish great things today?" This is what I love to do. This is where my passion sources from. I love being around people who are at the top of their game and help them achieve even more than they thought they were capable of. I also love finding out what a person's "currency" is and use it to motivate them to attain their goals. Your currency is not a financial term, instead it is the thing that makes you feel alive, connected and engaged to something. It is what pays off your ego and feeds your soul and keeps you coming back for more, even when you have a knock down, bang you head against the wall shitty day.
Another thought that came to clarity for me today was that I am a born leader of humans! I have always enjoyed leading, but I realized it is in my DNA. I say this because the speaker was speaking about concepts and findings that I instinctively knew. These concepts and findings are the bedrock of my leadership style and have served me and my employers very well over that last 10 years.
A word of friendly advice, if you are suppose to be a leader of human beings, and you think that money is a prime motivator of great people, you REALLY need to find another career. Seriously, you do...no really.. believe me, I am not lying to you.
Now this all may sound a little self serving, I will admit that it is a little bit, but my main reason for sharing this with you is to bear my testimony that Dan Pink speaks the truth. I also want it to be known that this is what I believe in and how I lead, so if you ever had any question, well... now you know.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Impressions from Kynetx Impact 3.0
For those of you who follow me on Twitter (@qwade) or on Facebook, you will no doubt know that I have been attending the Kynetx developer's conference called "Impact." This was the third iteration of the conference, hence the "3.0" moniker and it was attended by over 140 developers and technologists from all over the US and Canada and had many amazing moments.
One of these particular moments was the live interview of Dr. Phil Windley and "Doc" Searls hosted by Robert Scoble. This interview session focused on the notion of the "Live Web" and what it means to technology. I was impressed by the intellect and candor of all of the participants as they deconstructed what the Live Web is, and is not, going to include. Robert is a natural interviewer and the two "Docs" were on fire.
As I performed a mental review of all that was said during the interview, I came to the conclusion that the Live Web will finally bring to fruition the long standing promise of the Internet. As Doc Searls stated in his keynote and repeated during the interview session, the Internet should be available to everyone, usable by everyone and improved by anyone who wants to make improvements. In other words, it belongs to everyone and no one at the same time and should be open.
The Live Web is what the Internet was meant to be and Kynetx is the platform of choice upon which to build it.
Another memorable amazing moment came today as I listened to Neil Mansilla of Mashery talk about his "entrepreneurial style and code." Neil has a great presentation style and had a very interesting story to tell. The gist of it was that you need to think small when trying to start a business and keep it real. This was a refreshing perspective from someone who has a 10 and 17 record, which is actually impressive given the 1 in 10 record of most VC's.
I think Neil's message is a message that every Kynetx developer or nascent entrepreneur should hear as it gives great guidance and reasons for hope in today's competitive business environment.
Overall I was very impressed with this most recent teration of Impact and I look forward to seeing what develops from the great momentum created from it.
While I am no longer a day to day member of the Kynetx team, I do have a vested interest in the success of Kynetx as I am a equity holder in the company. I know that the leadership of the company has the right vision for the passionate Kynetx team to execute. I also know the brilliance which lives in the hearts and minds of this team, and mark my words, these guys are going to change the World.
In the words of Mr. Steve Fulling, "onward and upward!!" and "Get 'er done!!"
One of these particular moments was the live interview of Dr. Phil Windley and "Doc" Searls hosted by Robert Scoble. This interview session focused on the notion of the "Live Web" and what it means to technology. I was impressed by the intellect and candor of all of the participants as they deconstructed what the Live Web is, and is not, going to include. Robert is a natural interviewer and the two "Docs" were on fire.
As I performed a mental review of all that was said during the interview, I came to the conclusion that the Live Web will finally bring to fruition the long standing promise of the Internet. As Doc Searls stated in his keynote and repeated during the interview session, the Internet should be available to everyone, usable by everyone and improved by anyone who wants to make improvements. In other words, it belongs to everyone and no one at the same time and should be open.
The Live Web is what the Internet was meant to be and Kynetx is the platform of choice upon which to build it.
Another memorable amazing moment came today as I listened to Neil Mansilla of Mashery talk about his "entrepreneurial style and code." Neil has a great presentation style and had a very interesting story to tell. The gist of it was that you need to think small when trying to start a business and keep it real. This was a refreshing perspective from someone who has a 10 and 17 record, which is actually impressive given the 1 in 10 record of most VC's.
I think Neil's message is a message that every Kynetx developer or nascent entrepreneur should hear as it gives great guidance and reasons for hope in today's competitive business environment.
Overall I was very impressed with this most recent teration of Impact and I look forward to seeing what develops from the great momentum created from it.
While I am no longer a day to day member of the Kynetx team, I do have a vested interest in the success of Kynetx as I am a equity holder in the company. I know that the leadership of the company has the right vision for the passionate Kynetx team to execute. I also know the brilliance which lives in the hearts and minds of this team, and mark my words, these guys are going to change the World.
In the words of Mr. Steve Fulling, "onward and upward!!" and "Get 'er done!!"
Friday, March 18, 2011
Taking stock
So today is my 42nd birthday. Yep, it was forty two years ago that I was brought forth unto this World by my mother and father.
It has been a fairly normal birthday full of well wishes and notes from family and friends far and wide. There have been many renditions of "Happy Birthday" sung, fun made at the fact that I am a grandfather and references made to my looming AARP eligibility.
The one thing I did not expect to do today was to inventory my life to date. As I lay in bed this morning after being awoken by a call from my best friend in the World Russ Wynn, I realized something; My life could not get any better than it is right now.
It hit me like a ten ton heavy thing how blessed I am. I am blessed with a wonderful family (some blood, some not). I am blessed with a stable of friends that is second to none. I am blessed with health and everything I need to live a comfortable life.
In short, I need or want for nothing.
So on a day where it is customary to receive gifts, I instead want to give one to all of those who are part of my life. I want to give you the gift of my undying admiration, love and gratitude. Because of you, I have all that I could ever want or need in life.
I also want to thank my Father in Heaven for blessing me each and every day. It is through him that my strength in drawn.
In short, in taking stock of the last 42 years, all I can say is I am thankful and more than a little humbled by what has been given to me by so many.
It is indeed a very happy birthday for me.
It has been a fairly normal birthday full of well wishes and notes from family and friends far and wide. There have been many renditions of "Happy Birthday" sung, fun made at the fact that I am a grandfather and references made to my looming AARP eligibility.
The one thing I did not expect to do today was to inventory my life to date. As I lay in bed this morning after being awoken by a call from my best friend in the World Russ Wynn, I realized something; My life could not get any better than it is right now.
It hit me like a ten ton heavy thing how blessed I am. I am blessed with a wonderful family (some blood, some not). I am blessed with a stable of friends that is second to none. I am blessed with health and everything I need to live a comfortable life.
In short, I need or want for nothing.
So on a day where it is customary to receive gifts, I instead want to give one to all of those who are part of my life. I want to give you the gift of my undying admiration, love and gratitude. Because of you, I have all that I could ever want or need in life.
I also want to thank my Father in Heaven for blessing me each and every day. It is through him that my strength in drawn.
In short, in taking stock of the last 42 years, all I can say is I am thankful and more than a little humbled by what has been given to me by so many.
It is indeed a very happy birthday for me.
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