Pace Makes the Race Software Update

[Dave Schwartz]

After all these years, it has finally hit me that I cannot do it all myself.

To that end, we have officially hired a programmer to help with the Pace Makes the Race software project!

It seems that "making a simpler handicapping tool" that is still professional grade is far more complex than making a complicated one.

I just have too many projects, including HSH v9, which is getting closer and closer. (Told you it was not being replaced.) In addition, I have a new cataloging system for our website that I am working on. This workload is just killing me, hence, the new hire.

I will still be in charge of the development, on a module-by-module basis. In other words, it is still my design, not someone else's.

[mickey_arnold]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

After all these years, it has finally hit me that I cannot do it all myself.

Don't sweat it Dave...

As the Texas saying goes "The time to kill a snake is when he raises his head."

[DeltaLover]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

After all these years, it has finally hit me that I cannot do it all myself.

To that end, we have officially hired a programmer to help with the Pace Makes the Race software project!

It seems that "making a simpler handicapping tool" that is still professional grade is far more complex than making a complicated one.

I just have too many projects, including HSH v9, which is getting closer and closer. (Told you it was not being replaced.) In addition, I have a new cataloging system for our website that I am working on. This workload is just killing me, hence, the new hire.

I will still be in charge of the development, on a module-by-module basis. In other words, it is still my design, not someone else's.

Dave,

developing commercial software is certainly not a one man show. There are several specialties that need to be addressed that is impossible for a single developer to meet all the criteria. You need at least a UX expert, a front end developer, a back end developer and possibly a DevOps and a project manager in order to produce software that can meet the criteria of a modern application.

More than this you also need to follow a management methodology that allows for quick and light deliverables. Pragmatic program, agile methodology and XP are the three dominant approaches when it comes to program management and they should be applied and eventually mastered for anyone who wants to be in the business of developing software.

Some links you might want to check:

http://agilemethodology.org/

http://www.extremeprogramming.org/

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?PragmaticProgrammer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DevOps

[thaskalos]

Will the hiring of additional staff affect the selling price of the software?

[DeltaLover]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Will the hiring of additional staff affect the selling price of the software?

Yes, but it also will increase its ROI

[Dave Schwartz]

Will the hiring of additional staff affect the selling price of the software?

No.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

Will the hiring of additional staff affect the selling price of the software?

Why? You planning on buying?

I have a feeling that answer would be a resounding NO given the way you have told us all how you handicap.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Why? You planning on buying?

I have a feeling that answer would be a resounding NO given the way you have told us all how you handicap.

Yes...I am thinking of buying. This may shock you...but I have bought stuff from Dave in the past.

And I don't recall telling "you all" how I handicap. I may have mentioned something in passing about my handicapping methods...but I don't remember going into much detail about what I do. For your information, my main handicapping consideration is PACE...and Dave's new product might be EXACTLY what I am looking for.

Need I check with YOU before I make my purchase?

[PaceAdvantage]

Sheesh man...chill...sorry I ASKED....

And yes, you pretty much HAVE advocated that you are primarily a PPs and pencil guy...not much of a software guy...over the years here.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Sheesh man...chill...sorry I ASKED....

And yes, you pretty much HAVE advocated that you are primarily a PPs and pencil guy...not much of a software guy...over the years here.

YOU chill. Read your prior post again...and tell me what sort of reaction you were fishing for. I know that I have gotten into a disagreement or two with Dave on this board, but my question here was sincere...and it didn't deserve your snide remark. Such a remark might have been understandable coming from Dave...but not from you.

Does my posting here bother you, Mike? If so, then just tell me...and I'll do what I can to oblige your wishes.

[Dave Schwartz]

Will hiring a programmer cause a rise in price?
No, in fact, probably the opposite because I cost out my time at substantially higher than a contract programmer.


I face several issues doing this.

1. Managing a programmer.
I have never managed a programming project before. I have contracted out small, complete projects, such as our ToteMaster tool, but hands-on management will be new.

I expect there will be a ramp-up period where the ratio of my time to his time is around 1:1. Hopefully, I will learn quickly.


2. Teaching the programmer horse racing concepts.
Aside from the overhead, I have a programmer who has only been to the races twice in his life. This could cause the ratio to actually be as low as 1:2 in the early going.


3. Making sure that I set aside time with the programmer 3-5 times per week, especially in the early days.

The most successful contracting job I ever did (with me as the contractor) was at a local internet start up about 16-17 years ago. The corporate culture was such that the entire development group (45 people) met every morning for a meeting where project heads spoke briefly about their progress and what the team was working on that day. It would last about 12 minutes on most days but occasionally as long as 30 minutes.

I was amazed at the collective cohesiveness at that little company. The corporate culture was amazing. After meeting team challenges, the company would often do something special, like a movie outing or catering lunch.

Eventually they died because upper management got so wrapped up in going public. Ultimately, it came down to switch the accounting system and go public, or continue with there product release (it was in beta with thousands of orders waiting to be fulfilled).

Their revenue-generation module was for their turnkey hardware/software solution to connect directly to their accounting system and none of the mainstream accounting packages could connect because of issues with SQL7 (at the time).

(My job was to write that connection between their device and the accounting system. It was there that I learned how to provision software systems remotely.)


Amazingly, they choose to scuttle the entire project and try to go public with just an accounting system and no product! That is when the idiots at the top fired the entire development team and kept the 250 call-center employees who were still taking orders for a non-existent product.

LOL - Shark Tank would have a field day.



4. Hiring a redundant programmer.
The paradigm I have opted for is the 2-seat-programmer model. That is, two programmers working together who both know and understand the code.

Think of it as one guy sits in the chair at a time while the other one watches.

This serves several purposes, among them the fact that if one programmer quits the other guy can take over until a new 2nd man can be found. At that time the 1st man trains the 2nd man.

Initially, I will be the 1st man, quickly transitioning the other guy into 1st chair, and ultimately replace myself as 2nd chair.

[Dave Schwartz]

Delta,

Thank you for those links. I am familiar with all of them, especially the Pragmatic Programmer book and Agile. Because I have only rarely worked with teams, Scrum and other similar team-based approaches have never applied much to my work.

The reminder of PragProg has me a little interested because it has been many years since I read that book. (As I recall, it was about the time that I was doing the consulting gig I referenced above.)

Offering back, one of my favorite programming guys is Joel Spolsky (who I am sure you know of). Joel on Software

Unfortunately, he does not blog often enough.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

YOU chill. Read your prior post again...and tell me what sort of reaction you were fishing for. I know that I have gotten into a disagreement or two with Dave on this board, but my question here was sincere...and it didn't deserve your snide remark. Such a remark might have been understandable coming from Dave...but not from you.

Does my posting here bother you, Mike? If so, then just tell me...and I'll do what I can to oblige your wishes.

If it's understandable coming from Dave, then why not from me? I'm the grand observer here, and I am apt to chime in on just about anything...since I read every post.

Why do you have such a big problem with what I wrote, if even Dave himself would have been justified in responding in a similar manner?

And if you have something to say to me, just create a new thread and say it, or if you'd rather do it privately, then utilize PM. I can take it either way.

We could even go to off topic. Your choice. Something is simmering beneath the surface, but it's not on my end.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

If it's understandable coming from Dave, then why not from me? I'm the grand observer here, and I am apt to chime in on just about anything...since I read every post.

Why do you have such a big problem with what I wrote, if even Dave himself would have been justified in responding in a similar manner?

Because Dave and I have clashed before on this board...and I could see how he might have interpreted my question as having some sort of underhanded intent. But he DIDN'T interpret it in such a manner, and not only gave me a direct reply...but he also submitted a subsequent lengthy explanation surrounding my inquiry.

YOU, on the other hand, jumped in to ask me why I am inquiring about the price of Dave's product, since, in YOUR opinion, it is obvious that I have no intention of buying it...as if there was something wrong with me asking Dave such a question.

What about my question did you find objectionable, Mr. Administrator?

[PaceAdvantage]

Quite simple. You pointed out yourself about your past clashes with Dave on here. I am not blind. I saw those too. Which led me to my questioning in this thread.

Very simple. So why the third degree?