Service: Project Rescue

Unfortunately, many developers are not that good - even when they try. Combined with bad shops or agencies, some of which are trying to scam you, I've come across some horror stories.

If you're worried about your team's quality or effectiveness, consider hiring a Fractional CTO to assess the situation and help plan next steps.

The exact process to get a project on track is often very different. Here are a few scenarios where I might help.

• Setting the scope. Being clear about the scope of work is vitally important to the project's success. It's not too late to align our efforts, even if the project has already started.

• Best practices in project management. Especially with freelancers or small shops, the sophistication of handling projects is often lacking. Setting standards for how the project will run can help all the stakeholders.

• Poor communication or misunderstandings. This is usually the number one reason projects fail. Clear communication and a lot of it are vital to a project. Occasionally, we need to trim out some useless communications which aren't driving progress.

• Reaching the finish line. The last 10% of the project schedule is often more like 20% of the remaining effort. Getting everyone to focus on the last tasks, and maximize the final effort, is challenging.

• Wrapping up. When the project is done, handing off the assets and documenting what's there is very important. Make sure the project work is documented when transferring it from the outside team to the internal team.

• Quality in code, design, and user experience (UX). When an external team works on your code or design, their standards for quality may differ from yours. "It works" is not always in line with "it's good." When it comes to design, too often "looking good" gets in the way of "working well." Having a background in code and UX, I can dig into the details.  

• Deploying. The options for hosting a digital project or product are extensive. Choosing the wrong deployment platform and architecture can run up the costs significantly. Likewise, choosing something without enough horsepower can hurt the business. Observability and analytics are crucial for the business and often get overlooked in projects.

• Creating a request for proposals (RFP) and outlining the project. Of course price is a factor, but getting the best value from a project isn't about paying the least. It's more about lining up the business goals and the project. Making sure the right team is in place to deliver on those goals is paramount. 

• Choosing a developer or agency. In-house, outsourced, or remote work. There are many options, and which will work for you.

• Firing. Mistakes happen. It's important to know that quitting on a project is an option. And sometimes your team isn't able to deliver so we need to let them go.

• Reviewing project documentation. Especially later in the project, the original project planning documents are forgotten.

I've been on the agency side of this type of project/product build for 15+ years, and I’ve run thousands of projects. While most of my projects have gone well, there have been some stinkers in there. I've learned a lot from both types of projects.