44. Feature (RED) Flags

Picture this: You’re asked to build a new feature quickly. Perhaps you’re expected to cut corners and ship a new feature quickly. You know doing it the right way will take longer than the time you’re given. It happens more often than we care to admit. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?! Maybe there’s no right answer. It all seems to depend on the context. Some things that we can say for sure are to build a strong team culture, work closely with your team, understand where they’re coming from, and know as much about the software you’re building as you possibly can– the people, the processes, the politics, etc. Do these things and you’ll be pretty well equipped to weather any storm that may come your way. Topics: • 02:07 – We tend to focus on the newest, shiniest features • 02:28 – There is often pressure for us to push out the next features over fixes • 05:12 – We know there is a right way to build it, but we’re being pressured to rush. • 06:03 – Some features we know about in advance and others come up unexpectedly. • 07:31 – Can our direct supervisor help go to bat for us? • 08:36 – Should our MVP be the foundation for future features? • 09:35 – How can we work to influence other teams? • 10:04 – It’s all about the context of the situation • 10:22 – There should be non-negotiables that every team should discuss. • 11:11 – It’s hard to convince others with a feeling. • 12:03 – Do we have an opportunity to perform “a learning release” to prove the value? • 13:03 – What can we learn from Tom Greever? Can we move the burden of risks? • 14:31 – Who feels the pain when our predictions come true? • 15:53 – We have to prove ourselves for other teams to trust our opinions. • 16:54 – The entire team needs to collaborate and be on the same page. • 19:06 – We never know how “small” changes might have major impacts down the road. • 20:07 – How often do we have to strive for perfection over the “good enough”? • 22:05 – How do we agree on non-negotiable things? • 24:52 – Our team culture is a safety net when something goes wrong. • 29:59 – Who has the final say in any of this? • 31:38 – We are taught our culture by the way our leaders act. • 32:46 – How we handle this situation depends on the context. • 33:17 – We need to work on building empathy across our team. Helpful Links: • 02. The Coming Storm • 10. Interview: Tom Greever, Author of Articulating Design Decisions • Articulating Design Decisions • After Hours: “The Learning Release” by Ardi Karaj • 26. If you can’t convince ’em, rebrand! • 34. Not just team building, dream building with Brittany Summitt —– Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode.