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ALEX COWAN is the founder and CTO of Leonid Systems, a software company providing solutions to the world's largest communications providers. He has worked with companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100s, improving their competitive advantage in a fast-changing high-tech landscape. He lives in Aptos, California, and can be reached at www.alexandercowan.com.
Introduction xiii
Who Should Read This? Why? xiii
What Is a Technology System? xv
Leveraging Industry Shifts xvii
What Will I Get out of These Chapters? xviii
Who Is the Author? xxvi
Chapter 1 The Idea: Confront the Lawn Gnome of Indolence 1
Conception 1
Reality Testing 3
Footprint 25
Platforms 26
Engaging Moonlighters 28
Beta Customers 30
Checklist 33
Specialty Reading by Topic 33
Chapter 2 The Strategy: Saddle the Racehorse of Blind Progress 35
What Strategy? 35
Squaring the Four Ps 36
Company Strategy 40
More on Catalysts 47
Iterative Management 48
Bringing It All Together 56
Checklist 60
Specialty Reading by Topic 61
Chapter 3 The Product: Pin the Butterfly of Incoherence 63
Thinking Like a Designer 63
User Stories 67
Using the MVC Framework for a High-Level Design 73
The View 76
The Model 86
The Controller 93
Iterative Learning and Design 95
Pulling It All Together 96
Checklist 97
Specialty Reading by Topic 98
Chapter 4 The Architecture: Unravel the Python of Monolithic Architecture 99
Industrial Revolution 2.0 99
Designing an Architecture 100
Understanding Integration 102
Architecture Piece Parts at Enable Quiz 104
Evaluating Piece Parts 115
Understanding Open Source 117
Understanding Development Tools 119
Checklist 128
Specialty Reading by Topic 128
Chapter 5 The Team: Dodge the Magpie of Discord 129
Who Are These Software People? 129
Roles and Skill Sets at Enable Quiz 133
Evaluating New Hires 142
Evaluating Third-Party Firms 148
Motivation 151
Going Offshore 152
Contracting 155
Internal Tools 155
Checklist 158
Specialty Reading by Topic 159
Chapter 6 Getting to Beta: Discipline the Chihuahua of Unruly Development 161
From Here to There 161
Planning at Enable Quiz 166
The Reality 176
Documentation 180
Checklist 191
Specialty Reading by Topic 192
Chapter 7 Beta! Slaying the Hydra of Operational Readiness 193
Process, Process, Process 193
Process Example: Enable Quiz 200
You Are My Beta 217
Checklist 220
Specialty Reading by Topic 220
Chapter 8 Scaling the Business: Riding the Whale of Scale 221
The Launch: Is It Working? 221
Partnerships 228
Focus, Focus, Focus 233
The Chasm and the Hockey Stick 235
Managing Feedback at Enable Quiz 240
Learning When (and How) to Say No 241
Post-Mortems 243
Scaling 244
What Now? 245
Checklist 247
Specialty Reading by Topic 248
Index 249
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