BUILD BETTER WEBSITES – BY REDUCING TECHNICAL DEBT – what is it?

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BUILD BETTER WEBSITES – BY REDUCING TECHNICAL DEBT – what is it?

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BUILD BETTER WEBSITES

BY REDUCING TECHNICAL DEBT

Presented at Cleveland DUG

March 2013

@pzula

what is it?

 the "eventual consequences of poor or evolving  architecture and development within a code base." (Wikipedia)

OR

all of the scary things about your code/website/app

that you've found workarounds for,

or deemed "good enough", which eventually,

(and without fail) come back to bite you

Whoa!

How did that happen?

Not enough time to DO IT RIGHT

  • Poor estimates
  • Low budget
  • Prioritization issues
  • Inheriting bad code
  • New concepts
  • Scope creep

ESTIMATES & BUDGET

  • Do keep records of time on common tasks so that you have a reference point
  • Don't give a quote off of the top of your head
  • Do sit down and map out tasks, milestones,and meetings on any project you consider
  • Don't give a quote on  an inherited project without looking at closely
  • Do build in extra time for things you areunsure about

priority management

  • Some of the tasks may be boring,but it all needs to be done tofinish the project
  • We all love the fun tasks,but try scheduling  not-so-exciting tasks for when you have high energy
  • Know that sometimes you willhave to start over

be visible & in control

  • Meet with the client early & often
  • Be accessible & flexible
  • Be the task-master
  • Identify & share problems /roadblocks early
  • Show progress & confidence

why does it matter?

  • Reduce your stress
  • Get paid for the work you do
  • Build in time for experimenting
  • Deliver quality work
  • Rinse & repeat

it won't always work

but it will help you get there