One of the most challenging, and conversely, rewarding areas of software development is managing the relationship between you and your business partners. As a developer, you speak the language of systems. You walk in the specific and precise languages of database, of code, of specifications. Your primary currencies are exact specifications and knowledge. Your job is to translate requirements into Read the article >>

The are a few email faux paux''s I see which regularly find their way into my inbox. Chief among them is the block of fine print below: Please do not reply to this email. Replies to this email will not be responded to or read. To contact us, jump through hoop x, y, or z. Let me get this straight: You expect me to read your email, but you will not read mine if I reply? Morever, you expect me to hunt Read the article >>

Jeff Widman, an old friend from Techstars ''08 writes about his analytics vision: If you heavily rely on analytics, you might miss breakthroughs because you‚Äôre so stuck on gradually evolving‚Ķ how do you balance learning from feedback loops and simply taking a leap with your gut? My 2 cents: If you''re tracking the right metrics, and view those analytics as the validation part of Read the article >>

One of the biggest distinctions between my previous corporate job and my role in a startup has been the lack of support and gear immediately available to me in the later. To compensate, I must be carry a hefty laptop backpack with lots of goodies. I carry around a good deal of gear with me in my travel bag. Here''s my gear list: Macbook Pro   DVI & VGA Adapters (for presentations)     Extra Read the article >>

-- This post is part of a series of ongoing tips on lessons learned & experiences I''ve had as the lead developer of the online dating startup, at Ignighter.com. Though these tips are focused primary at consumer startups, they ring true elsewhere too. For a full list of these tips, see 10 things I''d wish I''d known as a lead developer at Techstars. -- I spend a lot of time worrying about Read the article >>

-- This post is part of a series of ongoing tips on lessons learned & experiences I''ve had as the lead developer of the online dating startup, at Ignighter.com. Though these tips are focused primary at consumer startups, they ring true elsewhere too. For a full list of these tips, see 10 things I''d wish I''d known as a lead developer at Techstars. -- I spend a lot of time building and reading Read the article >>

-- This post, on code standards, is part of a series of ongoing tips on lessons learned & experiences I''ve had as the lead developer (CTO if you want to be fancy) of the online dating startup, Ignighter.com. Though these tips are focused primary at consumer startups, they ring true elsewhere too. For a full list of these tips, see 10 things I''d wish I''d known as a lead developer at Techstars. Read the article >>