Process is the dividing line between dysfunction and excellence

This article expands on topics discussed in my new book, Grow Up Fast: Lessons from an AI Startup, live on Amazon, Apple Books, and Google Play Books today.

It was a regular morning, until a text from Ken Cohen, one of our first customers at Yembo, hinted at a deeper issue. Here's what unfolded:

  • The Issue: A bug in our system caused video processing to crash repeatedly, leaving uploads in limbo.

  • Immediate Fix: I quickly resolved the bug, ensuring no data loss and all pending estimates were delivered.

  • Underlying Problem: Our QA process wasn't mature enough; we were relying on customers to report bugs.

  • The Superhero Syndrome: By fixing issues immediately, I unintentionally deprived engineers of ownership and learning opportunities.

  • The Real Challenge: Urgent problems often mask the genuine underlying issues. In this case, it was a lack of ownership and understanding of the overall process.

Process Improvements:

  • Introduced pre-acceptance testing for proposed code changes.

  • Implemented detailed testing instructions in our engineering ticketing system.

  • Established an internal checklist for pre-release testing.

  • Configured proactive monitoring and alerting.

  • Initiated an incident reporting system for post-issue analysis.

Benefits of the New Process:

  • Enhanced code quality metrics.

  • Engineers became more autonomous and learned from issues.

  • Streamlined and efficient release process.

  • Peace of mind with active alerting.

Key Takeaway: It's essential to dig deep and identify the root cause of problems. Open-ended questions can guide this exploration.

The Power of Process: The same team can function either dysfunctionally or exceptionally, and the difference often lies in the process.

Lesson Learned: Process is the dividing line between dysfunction and excellence.

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