A Review of The ColdFusion Podcast Episode 18: Project Management

 
Mar 21, 2006

by Charlie Griefer, Fusion Authority Media Reviewer

The ColdFusion Podcast (http://www.coldfusionpodcast.com)
Episode 18: Project Management
Bryan Kaiser and Michael Haynie

After a two week hiatus, The ColdFusion Podcast makes its return to the airways, complete with a shiny new musical intro.

The episode opens with a brief rundown of news items. I enjoy this aspect of the show since it seems that no matter how many blogs I read each day, something newsworthy or noteworthy always slips past me (did you folks know that Adobe bought Macromedia? Whoa!). I appreciate any opportunity to hear about something that I should possibly be looking into further.

This week's news items include:

  • The aforementioned intro music, courtesy of Sid over at Design Over Matter (http://www.designovermatter.com).
  • Adobe has announced an Alpha release of a Flex2/AJAX bridge that will allow you to access Flex application components via JavaScript.
  • Getting Real, a downloadable PDF that discusses some (unconventional) approaches to software design (http://gettingreal.37signals.com).
  • Adobe has released a second cumulative Hot Fix for ColdFusion MX 7.1. However, there may an issue with the way ColdFusion searches for components after this updater is installed. Bryan and Michael do go into additional details regarding the issue and some possible ways around it.
  • Adobe has released an open source ActionScript 3 library.
  • Recipe of the Week: How do I reset the ColdFusion Administrator password?
  • Ray Camden's newly released (to the community at large) Canvas Wiki gets a mention...
  • ...as does Doug Hugh's Reactor
On to the show...

1. The Content

Bryan and Michael (collectively referred to as "The Guys" from here on out) have had some interesting topics lately for The ColdFusion Podcast (the Model-Glue Framework, an interview with ColdFusion Jedi Ray Camden), and Episode 18 keeps that trend alive. Project Management is not something that many programmers like to think about. We like to create. We enjoy the gratification of seeing something work on screen. Ask ten programmers about how much effort they put into project management, and see how many smile sheepishly and try to steer the conversation towards the coolness factor of the new Apple iThing. Few of us, if any, underestimate the importance of project management. But most don't give it the attention it deserves.

Maybe it's because as developers we like to do things a certain way. As The Guys point out, there is no one "best" way to manage a project. Certain clients/customers need to be managed differently. Certain projects/problems need to be managed differently. They stress the need to be able to adapt your plan of attack for each specific situation. They raise some interesting points about most clients being "visual" and how to handle a client whose perception is that no work has been done since the front-end isn't yet complete (even though 90% of the functionality of the back end may already be completed and tested). One way to address this is to clearly set customer expectations. Early. The Guys cover some other reasons why setting customer expectations is so important, and some methods of doing so effectively.

This leads into the importance of effective communication. Some of the barriers to effective communication between client and developer are mentioned, as well as some ways to overcome (or in some cases, completely eliminate) those obstacles. Also, in communicating with clients, it's sometimes in your best interest (as well as theirs) to tell them "no." How will doing this possibly lead to more business with the same client? Listen in as The Guys make it all clear.

2. The Presentation

Bryan and Michael (yes, they're back to being Bryan and Michael), if I understood correctly, have worked together for two and a half years. It's easy to see (or in this case, hear) why they've been successful. They work the same way. They believe in the same things (at least, when it comes to project management). The message they delivered was clearly based on the experiences that they've had, and they explain what worked for them (and some of what hasn't).

The discussion never got too technical, which is a good thing. It was easy to understand and easy enough to relate to. We all have customers. They might be our customers, or they might be customers of the company for whom we work. They might be our managers or bosses. I think everyone who listens in will, at one point or another, nod in agreement as they hear Bryan and Michael discuss a situation that's eerily similar to one they've had in the past ... or maybe even in the present ... and almost certainly one they're bound to have in the future.

Some people may be disappointed that they didn't come away having learned a hard-and-fast methodology for successful project management. However, if you feel that way, you might want to give another listen, as you may have missed the most important part of the message.
Charlie Griefer is a Software Engineer at Vurv Technology (formerly Recruitmax) in Jacksonville, FL, where he spends his days (and on occasion, evenings and nights) developing world-class workforce management, staffing and recruiting software solutions.

In his spare time, he enjoys being a father of two and a husband of one.

Add a Comment
(If you subscribe, any new posts to this thread will be sent to your email address.)
  
Privacy | FAQ | Site Map | About | Guidelines | Contact | Advertising | What is ColdFusion?
House of Fusion | ColdFusion Jobs | Blog of Fusion | AHP Hosting