Software development tips for startups

1. Get shit done
Programming tips for startups

2. Software development process
Enterprise Early stage startup
Requirements Requi- Architecture
Architecture rements
Design
Implementation
Design Implementation

3. Architecture & Design

4. Keep pen and paper at hand
it's faster than iPad, Omnigraffle and Balsamiq
combined

5. Technology: to learn or to do?
If in doubt, go with whatever you are most
familiar with

6. My technology choices
ClickNotifi
Android Java RoR
Java Play
Python Framework
Bash Backbone.js

7. Unknowns first
figure out parts you are least certain will work

8. # Tweaking (2 days and counting)
* 49d6abb - preparation for deployment (3 days ago)
* 7fe3ff7 - changes in links (3 days ago)
* c8ea33e - proper handling of link update (3 days ago)
* 9d61962 - logout link (3 days ago)
* e2f0289 - click count mailing kinda works (but configuration still
needs to be checked how to disable deliveries) my links works(4 days
ago)
* e206708 - UI makeover of new link, links to "new link" and "new
recipient" shorter link guid (allows for 100s of concurrent links per
second but not truly globally unique) twitter menu header (4 days ago)
# Infrastructure (1 day)
* d59971d - user authentication via devise (5 days ago)
* 10313fd - mailing notifications, starting with devise (users)(5 days
ago)
# Core (24 hours)
* 0d35fd0 - extract guid from path request image from server (6 days
ago)
* 1a770c9 - serve gif file from url (6 days ago)
* d00d93a - fix: removed "-" from guid (6 days ago)
* 0e23473 - link tagging works, tagged link is saved to server, basic
form validation (6 days ago)
* 88319c5 - initial commit - standard CRUD is working, started working
on javascript functionality (7 days ago)

9. Framework masturbation
Building framework is kinda pleasant but of little
use

11. Implementation

12. Choose your features
You can't have everything

13. Features
● What do you want to achieve?
● Tweaks
○ UI
○ Refactoring
○ Performance
● Extensions
○ Strategic - script execution
○ User required - FTP
○ Fun - string search
○ Catching up - HTML highlighting
○ Bragging - GitHub client

14. Is empty text editor scaring you?
Start with whatever comes to your mind!

15. class ImportantLink
:original,
:company,
:generated_link,
:name
end

16. Become StarShip programmer!
Write Simple and Sound code

17. Simple
● Simple algorithms
○ Temporal expression detection
○ Siri
○ Machine learning
○ String matching
● One way to do things
● Make it obvious

18. Sound - eat with fork and knife
● use descriptive function and parameter
names
cfoundp vs charFoundInBuffer
● use constants/variables for literals
86400000 vs MILLIS_IN_DAY vs jobPeriod

19. Sound - be nice to teammates
● make methods read like a story
void loadForm() {
loadData();
enforceSecurity();
adjustControls();
}

20. Sound - don't show off
● use Object Orientation sparingly
○ shallow hierarchies
○ carefully with polymorphism
● internal API
● conservative extensions

21. Isolate and iterate
Small methods = small problems
# vanilla guid
self.guid = UUID.random_create.to_s
# vanilla gid without dash
self.guid = UUID.random_create.to_s.gsub("-", "")
# short & sweet url shortener-like
self.guid = ("%d%d" % [rand(1000),Time.now.to_i]).to_i.to_s
(36)

22. Don't accept payments
Fake it till you make it

23. Your code is like weighted
companion cube
Burn it as needed

24. The best solution is NOT most flexible one; nor
most performant or feature-complete
Best solution is available NOW

25. Thank you
michal.kostic@gmail.com
www.michalkostic.com