Does Not Compute · April 26, 2016

29: The Why & How

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Things Mentioned

Listener Question

I'd like to know how developers can better provide input into a job spec/set expectations. When a client says "We need x, y and z" is there a way to say "yes, no or maybe" without spending an hour diving into docs or building a prototype. - @kidqueb

Paul: first off, if doing that is part of your job, you should absolutely have the time to spend as much time as needed figuring out actual requirements and deliverables. Too much pressure on people in this way would make me look at company culture problems, not at individual devs.

  • Make sure that projects are scoped out as much as possible up front - If you have any questions, ask them.
  • Project postmortems - It's beneficial to take some time after each project to analyze what went well, what what didn't, and why. If you don't have whys, it's harder to get the how's.
  • Time - It just takes time to gain experience. Soak up everything you can from others around you, and seek knowledge.
  • Learn how to read documentation efficiently - this will make getting the gist of something much easier.
  • Search support forums. For example, if you're needing to learn something about Shopify, check out the support forum. You'll find out the real details that the marketing pages don't spill.

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