As technology is rapidly improving it was time to update the Footy Tipping Website.
However due to having a strong user base this projects completion strategy was very unique.
The user base have a strong desire to interact with the site, they want the experience to be fast & simple. Achieving these objectives at first seemed straight forward. However due to the users prior learning curve to interact with the platform, changing the entire UI & UX reduced the users ability to have a fast and simple approach.
Question: How can we upgrade the platforms structure while improving the users ability to interact fast & simply?
The answer was quite straight forward,
We rebuilt the entire systems architect. This included upgrading the back end infrastructure to enhance CRUD performance. And rebuilding the front end focusing on reusable components & platform consistency.
This was a green fields project, which meant I could choose anything architecture to complete the project. The problem with this is that this decision can sometimes become overwhelming. Therefore I had to take a Principles First Approach
What would give the team autonomy moving forward without relying on their senior developers to hold their hand.
What code patterns would ensure the code base is consistent across every developer.
How could the static content be updated simply by a non-coder in any language.
What processes could be implement to generate consistent data types between the front end and the back end
Before the project can start the foundations must be laid perfectly as the remaining code will be stacked on top of this work. During this phase everything from the initial code base layout to the deployment pipelines are tested thoroughly.
Once complete I walk the team through the code base structure, explaining why I have built the foundation the way I have. At this point I ask the for their thoughts, sometimes there are new techniques that improve the code foundations.
It's crucial that everyone at this point has a thorough understanding of code patterns, processes & expectations. This will create the consistent code base moving forward
When managing a team I like break up the project tasks based on individual team member strengths. I then give them the opportunity to be accountable for that specific section of the code base.
I learned a simple framework by Leila Hormozi once which helps me to focus on how best I can help the team.
In the past I have found myself getting caught up in blaming the team for their performance & using this framework ensures I take full accountability in delivering support. If a team then isn't following instructions there is a clear breakdown in trust or process & this can then be addressed without emotion.
We required more resources to complete the project & training up a junior developer was the chosen solution by Seventh Beam to help. This gave me a great the opportunity to focus on how to bring them up to speed quickly, so they too could start delivering value.
Due to our Front End Architecture I was able to give the junior developer a list of online Youtube tutorial that got their skill level up about 80%. Now their skill set foundations we up to date, I spent time using the built tech stack to demonstrate our code patterns & join the knowledge gaps they still had.
Hats off to all the effort Sam put in!
Within 3 months Sam had gone from a Junior to Senior developer in this tech stack!
Firstly words are not enough to describe how amazing the Seventh Beam team are! From culture to business leadership, you honestly couldn't ask to be apart of a better team.
Their ability to navigate tough managerial decisions during COVID taught me a lot about sacrifice, long term strategic thinking & employee relations. I look forward to my next contract with Seventh Beam as they grow into the future