Our design team has spent a lot of time explaining their processes on the Dialexa blog. But when it comes to our client projects, design is just one piece of the puzzle.
Full write-up: https://by.dialexa.com/day-in-the-life-dialexa-software-team
The Role of Taxonomy and Ontology in Semantic Layers - Heather Hedden.pdf
A Day in the Life of the Dialexa Software Development Team
1. A Day in the Life of the Dialexa
Software Team
by Doug Platts
https://by.dialexa.com/day-in-the-life-dialexa-software-team
2. Dialexa
We are on a mission to make every
company a great technology company.
We work with organizations to define and
execute digital transformation strategies to
improve business operations and customer
experiences. Our services include:
• Multi-Year Technology Roadmap
• Platform Engineering
• User Experience Design
• Custom Software Development
• Hardware Prototyping /IoT
3. Five members of the Dialexa
software development team—
Luke Gordon (VP Software
Development), Simba
Musarurwa (Solutions
Engineer), Kia Wright (Front
End Developer), Ehis Ojielu
(Full Stack Engineer), and
Brady Walker (Software
Developer)—took the time to
explain what a typical day
looks like for them.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
4. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR
DAY STARTED?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
5. Simba: I wake up at 4:50, get ready
and then ride my bike to the gym.
After about an hour at the gym, I ride
back, cook breakfast and do some light
reading until about 7:30 when it’s time
to head to the office. I ride my bike to
work and I’m in by 7:40 to start the
day. I make my coffee and start
planning my tasks for the day, front
loading efforts because I have the
most energy earlier in the day.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
6. Kia: Especially during crunch time on a project, I like to wake up at 7
and get to the office around 8. For me, Post-it notes are the best way
to keep track of tasks so I spend time in the morning writing out my
tasks and sticking them to my monitor. Then as the day goes on, I can
get the satisfaction of crushing each one and moving along.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
7. Ehis: When you’re a software
engineer, you tend to get stuck in
your own little bubble of work.
So in the mornings, I like to listen
to podcasts while I get ready.
The topics could be politics,
technology, or anything really
just as long as I can think outside
of work until I’m in the office.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
8. Having problems defining and executing your
real-world digital transformation strategy?
Download or free eBook:
Enterprise Technology For Business Outcomes
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
9. WHAT DO YOU DO EVERY DAY TO
INTEGRATE PROJECTS?
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this slideshare HERE
10. Luke: One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that
there aren’t any “typical projects” at Dialexa. Every
project is different whether it’s in hardware, software,
or a new industry and we have to be able to adapt our
approach. Being T-shaped is the best way we
can contribute to integration on a daily basis—thinking
where I can offer the most value and where I can help
others who are struggling.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
11. Brady: The standup is our most
important daily meeting as
everyone gives a quick
overview of 3 things—what did
you accomplish yesterday, what
will you accomplish today, and
blockers for those tasks.
Understanding the blockers is
most important because it
helps us collaborate better and
see where we can apply the T-
shaped mindset. Especially for
me in QA, the standup shows
me what I need to do to work
alongside project managers and
developers every day.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
12. WHEN ARE YOU MOST
PRODUCTIVE?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
13. Kia: Simba’s plan to take out the
toughest tasks early might be
the best approach, but I feel
more productive when I build
momentum early. I take out
small tasks so I can cross them
off and start doing my heavy
lifting later in the day. There’s
always a lull in the afternoon,
but early mornings and late
evenings are when I get the
most done.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
14. Ehis: I don’t necessarily fit the night owl developer stereotype, but
I’m closer to it than others. My productivity definitely lies toward the
end of the day. After I’ve gained momentum through the morning
and afternoon, I take care of the biggest challenges between 3 and 6
(and beyond). It’s like two bursts—in the morning I put out fires and
then later in the evening you hit the groove and start moving quickly.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
15. To read more you can find the full article at:
A Day in the Life of the Dialexa Software
Development Team
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
16. HOW MUCH
INTERACTION DO YOU
HAVE WITH CLIENTS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
17. Simba: This is another
question that depends
entirely on the project. A
major project with 10 or 15
team members would have
a dedicated lead engineer
or project manager, so we
probably wouldn’t have
much client interaction
outside of demos. But with
a small project, a solutions
engineer like me could be
the primary point of contact
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
18. HOW DO YOU OVERCOME ANY
ROADBLOCKS IN YOUR TASKS?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
19. Brady: Daily routines might be different for
everyone, but this is something we all agree on. If
there’s something keeping us from getting a task
done, we have to talk it through with someone
every time. The general idea is that if you’re
stuck for more than 15 minutes, it’s time to talk it
out with a colleague for a new perspective.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
20. WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE SURE YOU
CONTINUE TO GROW (BOTH PERSONALLY
AND PROFESSIONALLY)?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
21. Ehis: Reading blogs is a great
way to learn how to solve new
problems. One of my favorites is
theInstagram Engineering blog.
But sometimes reading isn’t
enough. When I had to learn
the new Angular 2 framework for
a specific client project, it helped
to get practical experience.
Building something small with
Angular 2 before getting into the
client project helped me gain a
solid understanding of the
framework faster than I would
have from reading alone.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
22. Simba: Internal demos and our Lunch and Learn series are two ways Dialexa
helps push both personal and professional growth. We usually do internal
demos at the end of our two-week sprints so we can bring people from
outside the project team in to offer a new perspective. When you work on a
project so long, it’s easy to lose sight of some of the finer points. A second
set of technical eyes helps us all learn more about the work we’re doing.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
23. The Lunch and Learn
initiative comes up every
Wednesday when a team
member gives an
educational presentation.
It could be on anything
really, ranging from highly
technical engineering to
how to brew the best cup
of coffee. We always want
to learn more and we
want to keep practicing
how we share our
knowledge with others.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
24. Luke: Stemming from the Lunch and Learn, we also did a Beer and
Learn recently after hours. Instead of the usual internal focus, we’ve
started focusing on showcasing our lessons for local companies. We
gain more experience by teaching and we get to help the local
community at the same time.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
25. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF WORK?
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
26. Kia: I came to Dialexa through a
shared Crossfit connection and
now Crossfit has become a big
part of the Dialexa culture. And
on a higher level, I think we all
share a similar feeling that
exercise is a big part of our free
time. When you’re so plugged into
technology all day, it’s great to
take a break and experience the
physical world. I also have a
personal goal to take 1
international trip every year and I
run a small business in my spare
time.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
27. Ehis: It’s great to unplug
from technology outside of
work, but I like to stay
creative. I’m a musician, so
when I go home I spend
time in my studio practicing
my instruments and getting
creative with music. And
then on the weekends, it’s
great to check out the
Dallas music scene and
play around with fellow
musicians.
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE
29. If there’s one thing our
software development team
proves, it’s that delivering
results in the tech world isn’t
just about coding. There’s a
serious dedication to the
projects (so much so that Kia
told us she has to commit to
taking more breaks to stay
productive), but sometimes
you have to unplug for the
job (and from Slack).
Get the full write up of
this slideshare HERE