rcavezza

POODR (Practical Object Oriented Design in Ruby) by Sandi Metz is my favorite. Each idea in every chapter is backed up by a very specific example of refactoring. I can't really put a description on the type of structure, but I love the book structure.

I like your comment and a lot of your thoughts are common. Allow me to help alleviate some of your concerns. I think the root of the issue is that many "Startup Tarpits" are not talking to the right customers early on. I also think you have only worked with marketing people who didn't use a methodical, scientific approach to user acquisition.

Don't hire a marketing expert. This is a bad first step. You should define a very specific subset of customers and talk to them. Find out their problems after talking to 10 very targeted people that fit into a user profile. I recommend reading "The Mom Test" (it's a book about how to phrase customer development interview questions) as a basis for how you talk to potential customers.

User acquisition efforts are not only measurable on a larger scale. You may have this idea because the people you worked with may have had a big company background. For a startup, it is very necessary for your advertising campaign to define a cost per click, find a conversion rate, and then test many different advertising phrases and avenues. This helps put a direct cost per user acquisition price on each campaign and you can compare apples to apples. It takes "voodoo money burning rituals" and turns it into numbers that are measurable.

If you rely on free marketing channels without a clear focus on who is using your product, it is very likely that you have 10 customers who fit 10 completely different segments with 10 different ideas of which features will give them value.

They key is learning. When you estimate future software releases, you typically point a story using things you have learned from previous, similar stories. When you attempt a new advertising campaign, you should use past learnings to determine which ads and messaging will work for different segments - how much they will cost, and how many users you can expect to get based on past results.

In summation, startup marketing should have a focused, scientific, numbers driven, methodical approach - just like writing software. If your marketers are not doing that, you probably aren't working with the right marketers.

Three steps to make sure you get more than 1 or 2 days out of it.

1.) Make it very crappy, and put it live for the world to see.

2.) Be embarrassed that this thing you made is so crappy.

3.) Use that embarrassment to make it better.

However, I suspect that the problem might be something else.

They say you should always be working on your best idea. Maybe you are jumping from project to project too fast?

Maybe you need to take more time to think about why you're starting certain projects.

Maybe the answer isn't finding more time working on projects. Maybe the answer is spending less time working on projects and more time thinking about possible projects.

Some random thoughts here. Sorry that it sounded a little Seth Godin-ish.

Rohan,

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking for, but I'll try to give a few helpful answers

1.) You may not have the ability to effect change for the entire organization, but if you do, you may want to look into software specifically for human resource functions: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2492792,00.asp

2.) For a pragmatic approach, and if you have a small team, you may want to do a mid-year practice review with your team members. This will do two things: (1) it will ensure they fill out their reviews properly and (2) it will make sure they know how they will be judged before it's time for the formal review.

3.) If you have a large team, I would schedule a meeting where you show team members the correct way to fill out the spreadsheet. And then schedule an hour on their calendars for alone time at their desk to properly fill out the reviews.

There are also a lot of businesses that do not want the GMail interface to change.

For example, Yesware, Hubspot For Sales, and ToutApp are all built on top of GMail probably using the gmail.js library - and I'm sure there are a lot more.

I'm not sure they have the clout to keep Google from changing, but it's something for them to consider.

https://builtwith.com/appsee.com - Confirmed - they are using leadforensics.

I'm assuming they are using Lead Forensics - I've heard of this solution before. There are a few other competing technologies, but LF is probably the most well known.

I think they do IP identification from a large number of network sites.

You fill out a form w/ company X and they're sharing data with LeadForensics, now when you visit company Y, if LeadForensics got your IP from company X, they know you visited.

leadforensics.com

I think there's a few things you can do.

1.) You should put everything in perspective. You have a job that pays well and a family. A lot of people would be envious.

2.) Working 60 hours a week doesn't do much if you're not productive. I would start coming in 5-10 minutes later or leaving 5-10 minutes earlier each day. See if anyone notices and then keep sliding it. I don't think the hours you put in matter if the productivity doesn't match it.

3.) Look into test suites if possible. Don't go crazy. Just design a few tests for some of the main functions for your software. Add 1 or 2 new tests each time you create a new bug or encounter an issue. It doesn't have to be a formal process with deployment, just something local on your machine to make you feel better.

4.) Leaving your job probably not an option because you need $$$ to keep coming in is my guess. It never hurts to look around. Email a few friends and see if they have openings at their offices.

5.) Smile. I know we've all been in work situations that we really didn't like or enjoy. We gritted our teeth and eventually, things got better. Either we moved on to different jobs or things changed in our current situation.

Some of the best writers I know think that writer's block is a myth.

Their theory is that if you are experiencing "writer's block", it means you need more ammunition. You need to do more research or thinking on the specific subject you're trying to write about.

And it's free online http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~gareth/ISL/ISLR%20First%20Printing.p...

Happier might be the closest thing that currently exists: https://www.happier.com/app/community

Variety is the spice of life. Even if 6 people answer a question with roughly the same answer, they will all be a little bit different. Sometimes, it takes something worded slightly different to click for someone.

I would consider this a feature - not a bug.

I recall thinking that I NEEDED a mentor at one point in my life.

Eventually, I started learning from people online by reading their stuff and then learning from people I met offline. I never formally asked anyone to be my mentor.

My guess is that you're looking for someone who you can formally ask to be your mentor. I don't think that happens as much as you might think. It also probably sounds weird to someone when they are asked to "be someone's mentor".

Take a listen to this podcast episode - it helped me form some thoughts on the subject: https://seekingwisdom.io/04-you-need-more-role-models-a1fd02...

>>You are the average of the people you surround yourself with. But everyone is always on a mission to find a mentor. Why spend so much time and effort finding someone that you’ll only learn from once a month or once a quarter?

>>Role models are the people that open up the possibilities in your life and your career. We talk about why you need more role models on this episode of Seeking Wisdom.

You can also send screenshots of mockups and ask for feedback based on those. This is something good to do to make sure you're on the right track before building anything.

Maybe you should license it to the company. I think it would be harder for them to pull the leg out from under you if they were paying a monthly fee. Even if it was something marginal like $5 a month.

(Note: I'm not a lawyer)

Here's one thing you should keep in mind. The lawyer you are meeting with is not on your side. That person is looking out for your company's best interests - not yours. If you're serious about this, I would make sure you have your own counsel.

I think the big thing is making yourself vulnerable to take that next leap.

There's a few people you probably know (at least a little bit) from work, or meetups, or maybe they live near you.

Ask them to get lunch or grab coffee. Start sending them texts or emails more often.

Some people might say no over and over again or they just might be busy.

Also - if someone asks you to do something - Just say yes. I learned that if you say no the first 1 or 2 times someone asks you to hang out or come to a party - the invitations will stop.

<<< The new view on cholesterol in food does not reverse warnings about high levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, which have been linked to heart disease. Moreover, some experts warned that people with particular health problems, such as diabetes, should continue to avoid cholesterol-rich diets.

<<<The greater danger in this regard, these experts believe, lies not in products such as eggs, shrimp or lobster, which are high in cholesterol, but in too many servings of foods heavy with saturated fats, such as fatty meats, whole milk, and butter.

Here is my paraphrased takeaway:

Cholesterol you see in your blood results is still bad. Whole milk, butter, and fatty meats is still bad. Foods like eggs, shrimp, and lobster might be good.

I don't think this changes any of my mental models. The foods that I always thought of as "probably not great" are still classified as such, according to this article.

There's something to be said about people who ask "dumb questions". There are some really great lines about it in the Tim Ferriss/Malcolm Gladwell podcast when Gladwell is talking about how his dad is one of those people that are really great at asking dumb questions.

I think it has something to do with confidence. Confident people don't care too much about being wrong - they are confident in what they know and aren't concerned about being labeled "an idiot."

I've tried to do consistently many times, and usually fail. I'm trying to do this consistently now. I'm reading the Checklist Manifesto, so I have a checklist of things I want to do after I wake up and things I want to do before bed. It's pretty simple, like write something and read something before picking up your phone. I'm keeping it really simple and subjective so I keep up with it.

In 2017, I want to improve my memory and be more thorough, and I hope this will help.

This may sound trivial, but when I get into the office and someone asks me what I did over the weekend, I don't typically have an answer on the tip of my tongue. After trying this a few times, it's quicker for me to answer before going to the copout answer of "nothing". Usually, my nights are pretty boring though, lol - gym, reading, bath/reading, writing, coding, sleep - in a random order.

I have a 5.5 X 8.5 moleskin I always keep in my bag.

When I read, I get ideas and wrote them down. Maybe they're related to the book or a project I'm working on, or maybe they're unrelated. Books I remember I want to buy, an email to send to someone, a new test I want to run - all over the map.

I also try to wrote down my thoughts in the morning and at the end of the day in this psuedo-journal. Things I'm thinking about, what happened that day, etc...

1.) At my company, the board meets quarterly and I don't think I have ever personally seen them at the office. (The board meetings are at the office). Our company is approximately 30 employees. The only way this should affect your decision is if you are foregoing salary in exchange for equity and the strategic vision is of huge importance to you.

2.) No. I would probably be more likely to take the job.

It's important to be friends with people who have different views than you. I think I would prefer working in an atmosphere where diverse views exist rather than living in a bubble.

No disclosures to make. I wouldn't say I'm a happy user, but I use those sites the same way I use HN.

I think of them as Hacker News for marketing. Inbound.org is run by Hubspot and Sean Ellis runs Growth Hackers.

The Hubspot API is particularly awful.

Start treating inbound.org and growthhackers.com like you treat Hacker News. Everything else will take care of itself.

"On my first week, me and the PO had a disagreement during a Scrum Grooming. It wasn’t a big deal for me but it must have been a big deal for her."

Can you elaborate on this? What was the disagreement?

Can you elaborate on what you liked about The War of Art? I read it earlier this year and I really wasn't a fan. Maybe I need to change my mindset about this book.

I don't usually recommend reddit, but http://reddit.com/r/fitness is a subreddit with some of the most knowledgable and caring people you'll ever meet.

Everyone is very helpful and supportive in each other's progress.

I would repost this question there.

Rescinded comment

Link to original post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13117521

Although price can sometimes be an indicator of quality, it doesn't necessarily mean quality. I think this is especially true when the alternative higher priced product has a lot of "Brand Value" that can be attributed to the higher price.