Implementing software development “best practices” can be a challenging feat, especially if you are in a very small team of developers. Little to no budget, stress to just “get something out”, and lack of understanding from management of what you really do means you have to make sacrifices, right? This talk will give you some insight on accomplishing your goals of being a top-rated development shop, even if you are an army of one. From justifying those best practices to utilizing free services to hiring additional help, this talk will run the gamut of running a software development shop at a small scale.

1. Lean Mean PHP
Machine
Jason Austin @jason_austin TEK-X
Friday, May 21, 2010

2. A little about me...
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3. The team at NC State
2 full time employees
2 part time students
1 manager
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4. We do “the internet”
Support apps
Campus-wide initiatives
Community engagement
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5. A little history
Started with one part-time developer
No standards
No best practices
No idea what I was doing
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6. A little more history...
Added a developer and a manager
Went to ZendCon 2006
Plugged into #phpc
Re-invented ourselves
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7. Daily challenges
Our business is not so'ware
Budget
Educating management
Demanding clientele
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8. David vs. Goliath
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9. Goliath Shops
Project managers
UI designers
Code developers
QA staff
Support staff
flickr @gadgetgirl70
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10. Goliath Shops
Multiple people responsible
Focus on a single part of a project
Anonymity
Lack of payoff
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11. David Shops
Everyone is
responsible for
everything
Hazy job
responsibilities
flickr @helico
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12. David Shops
Focus on the whole project (or multiple
projects)
Support a'er release
Make your mark
See the payoff
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13. To be successful
Hire and retain great developers
Spend money wisely
Communicate and collaborate
Code smarter
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14. Tip #1
Successful shops are built on
the backs of successful people
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15. It starts with hiring
Know your needs
Targeted, clear job descriptions
Post everywhere
Recruit
Reputation
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16. Hiring is risky
Contract positions
Part-time workers
Outsource
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17. Bad hires are poison
Trust
Efficiency
Culture clash
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18. Who do we interview?
LinkedIn, Resumé
Blog, twitter, facebook
Ask for code
Virtual interviews
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19. Interviews suck
Not a true representation of skill
Easy to fake
Time waster for the existing team
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20. But if it’s required...
Don’t play games
Have a loose plan
Ask what you want to know
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21. Face time
See how they think
Problem solving skills
Communication skills
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22. The successful types:
Motivated (are you interested)
Go-getter
Eager to learn
Engaged
Team Player
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23. Be part of the process
Read resume’s
Research
Interview if you have to
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24. Team assembled. Now what?
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25. Care for the team
Feed and water daily
Encourage participation
Engage
Reward
Compensate
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26. Build team chemistry
Get away from your workspace
Sports? Video games? Beer?
Whatever it takes
Avoid crazy HR team building exercises
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27. Keep the good devs
Hiring new devs is expensive
Training
Exposure to apps
Institutional knowledge
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28. Tip #2
A happy developer is a
productive developer
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29. Developers are unique
Platform
IDE
Hours
Work environment
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30. Listen
Open participation
Feedback sessions
Find what fits each dev and go with it
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31. Shield the new guys
Meetings generally suck
Block out time
Keep politics to a min
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32. Management
Manage up or around
Facts
Deliverables
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33. Training
Continuous and Strategic
Webinars are cheap
Team up
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34. Telecommuting
Works for some, not all
More focus
Small, dark places where awesome code
lives
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35. Tip #3
Spend money where you get
the most bang for your buck
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36. Open Source is your friend
Project Management
Issue Tracking
Administrative Tools
Productivity Tools
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37. Use existing tools
Codebase management
Support
Cheaper in the long run
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38. Prove the value
Case studies
Documentation
Expert Trusted advice
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39. Follow through
Results are critical
Credibility
Makes the next request easier
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40. Tip #4
Join in the discussion at every
level
flickr: @danielygo
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41. Get local
Meetup.com
Find a user group
Connect with colleagues
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42. Get global
IRC at #phpc
Twitter
Conferences
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43. Put yourself out there
PHPers aren’t scary (mostly)
Take initiative
Connect yourself, then connect others
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44. Tip #5
Reduce, reuse, recycle
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45. Write once, use many
Code reusability
Module portability
Testability
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46. Frameworks!
Use them...now
Zend Framework
CakePHP
Symphony
Whatever
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47. Code re-use
OT Framework
Auth and ACL
Navigation
Themes
It’s an app shell
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48. Re-use benefits
Setup time
Common methods
Upgradability
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49. Last Tip
Integrate best practices from
the start
flickr @enerva
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50. Development is not just typing
Testing is a requirement, not a feature
Plan for usability and accessibility
Design then develop
Single-step deployment
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51. flickr @lwr
Any questions?
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52. Rate me on
Jason Austin @jason_austin
http://www.jasonawesome.com
Review this talk at http://joind.in/1608
Friday, May 21, 2010