Managing a Small Software Team

1
Managing a Small Software Team

• or
• How to build a 6.170 final project with your
  friends and still be friends at the end of the
  term

2
Todays Agenda

• Meetings that matter
• Ideas that influence
• Visions of versioning

3
Meetings that matter

• Benign dictator
• Four people is not enough for a democracy
• Grand inquisitor
• Speak now or forever choke on your dog food
• Timekeeper
• Stick to the agenda
• Note taker
• A meeting without minutes never happened

4
Ideas that influence

• Do not attach your ego to your ideas
• People attach their egos to their ideas, so be
  sensitive when you critique them
• Treat newborn ideas like newborn babies

5
Visions of versioning

• Update, edit, commit, repeat
• Dont break the build
• Write meaningful commit messages so you can
  easily track your changes
• Consider e-mail notifications on commit

6
Last minute tips

• Apply your design to your code repository
• Store meeting and other notes in CVS
• Use your MDD to define tasks and give yourselves
  assignments and deadlines
• Document as you go

7
Last minute tips

• Schedule meetings and group work time
• Think about usability from the beginning
• Try to get it right the first time instead of
  wasting time adding quality in later
• Consult with your TA when you get into trouble