Getting Real 5: Say "no" to new ideas?

"Throw in every decent idea that comes along and you'll just wind up with a half-assed version of your product. What you really want to do is build half a product that kicks ass." Yay! The best example of this I can think of at CML is the Volunteen Registration Portal. The initial list of enhancements was pages long. Through prioritization, we eliminated most. The end result, with only the most crucial enhancements, rocked! Staff raved about it.

Important lesson learned: It just doesn't matter! Don't think that's the way I would phrase it to the customer. In the end, though, what really matters is prioritizing. In the words of GR authors: Make each feature work hard to be implemented.

Doubt it? Think of it this way, again from GR: "Each time you say yes to a feature, you're adopting a child. You have to take your baby through a whole chain of events (e.g. design, implementation, testing, etc.). And once that feature's out there, you're stuck with it. Just try to take a released feature away from customers and see how pissed off they get."

Every new feature request that comes to Digital Services— or from us — should first be met with a "no" or "not now" or "we'll think about it". We should listen but not act. If a request for a feature keeps coming back, that's when we know it's time to take a deeper look.

Great quote from Steve Jobs: "Listen: I know you have a thousand ideas for all the cool features iTunes could have. So do we. But we don't want a thousand features. That would be ugly. Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features."

Steve Jobs again: "[Innovation] comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important."

Here's another idea: ask customers what they don't want.

Getting Real 4: Start big, end small

In chapter 4, we do a pretty good job already. We don't usually have a problem with scalability getting in the way or with starting with big decisions and moving to smaller.

I liked this idea for brainstorming and wireframing: You should begin by getting your proportions right for the whole scene. Then you sketch the largest objects in your scene, up to the smallest one.

And this idea is a winner whenever: If you try to please everyone, you won't please anyone.

Here at CML, we do sometimes have trouble narrowing the vision. Very hard for a public library that's always been told we "serve all".

Getting Real 1-3: Getting rid of red tape is red hot!

My department, Digital Services, is participating in my library's Summer Reading Club by reading 37Signals' book, Getting Real: Discover the Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web-based Application. The name aptly says it all.

I have until August 18 to finish and I should have no problem doing so. The book is a quick, pleasurable read... so far. I plan to blog about the stuff I find meaningful. If anyone finds this blog, I hope it's helpful to you too and feel free to share your comments.

GR first got my attention by saying it was about, among other things, getting rid of...

• Pie-in-the-sky functional specs
• Unrealistic user testing
• Interminable staff meetings
• Interconnected webs of assumptions (love that phrase!)

I've been railing about the second bullet for the last couple of years, but haven't seemed to make much impact. It's not that my colleagues don't agree with the need for accurate user testing. It's more that it is unfamiliar territory and requires more effort, at least on the front-end. It should save effort on the back-end, but somehow that doesn't increase the buy-in to make time for it. Even simple tests of functionality are difficult to do for remote users. Things have improved, but it's still not easy or even possible for us to do remote testing of some features. We have to wait until things go live then--surprise!--something doesn't work.

And, don't get me started on the first bullet. Since officially becoming a project manager, I've been amazed at how scopes will continue to creep. I've been much more successful at advocating the need to scale projects back. Yet, there is much more we can do.

GR is not just about getting rid of stuff; it's also about...

• delivering better results because it forces you to deal with the actual problems you're trying to solve instead of your ideas about those problems.

• "scoping down" rather than moving your deadlines out and out and out ad infinitum

• making it easier to embrace change

• making mistakes

• passion!

Some things in the book aren't a perfect fit. For example, it has a section on the benefits of being a small company and embracing that. But, we're a BIG library with all the benefits and problems that brings. Overall, though, I'm intrigued and am finding lots of ideas that ring true to me.

New DP Hardware – More for the Money

The “heartbeat” of our ILS was just replaced with a new and improved model, the HP Nonstop system. The replacement was needed since the old hardware was nearing the end of its expected life-span and the risk of system failure was increasing. Because this system processes all circulation and acquisitions functions and holds all patron and bibliographic data, it was important to move it to a new, more secure environment.

The best news is that the new system saves CML money because it costs much less to maintain. In fact, we’ll start to reap a return on our initial investment next year and, by 2012, we will have saved nearly $344,000!

In addition to faster processing speed and ability to open more Teemtalk windows, customers and staff will also see a new and improved About You page. New banners for CML, Worthington and Southwest are now in place with the updated My Account branding.

Take a look and let us know what you think. Many thanks to DS staff, Susan Vedovato, Dan Collins and Jim McKay for all of their work on this project.