The hottest Project management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Explore and Exploit: Importance of Side Projects

trydeepwork • 1 HN point • 02 Jun 24
💼 Business Project management
  1. It's important to balance trying new things (exploration) and focusing on what you already know (exploitation). This balance keeps life interesting and engaging.
  2. Side projects can be valuable for exploring your interests. Don’t feel guilty about them; they help prevent burnout by adding novelty.
  3. When starting new projects, label them as exploratory or exploitative. This helps you know when it's okay to abandon something and when you should commit fully.
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Little Tasks, Little Trust

Rethinking Software • 1 HN point • 11 Oct 20
💼 Business Project management
  1. Breaking work into small tasks can make workers feel like they have no creative control. When given bigger responsibilities, they feel trusted and more motivated to contribute ideas.
  2. Focusing too much on metrics and small tasks can take away from the bigger picture of a project. It can lead to a lack of respect for individual skills and creativity.
  3. Estimating small tasks accurately is tough. It's easy for simple tasks to become complicated, leading to time wastage and misunderstandings in the project.

Quality Engineering Basics: Prioritizing Bugs

QUALITY BOSS • 0 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Understanding how to prioritize bugs is key for efficient quality engineering. It's important to have a common agreement on what each priority level means.
  2. Using a matrix to categorize bugs by their scope and impact can help in deciding their priority. This method allows teams to see which bugs are more urgent and need immediate attention.
  3. Automation tools, like GitHub actions, can streamline the bug prioritization process. They can help automatically assign priority based on set parameters, saving time and reducing errors.

On communicating why software is late

Thoughts from the trenches in FAANG + Indie • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Software projects often experience delays, especially when creating new software. It's important for both engineers and stakeholders to work together and understand how to communicate about these delays effectively.
  2. Clear communication about the project's delay is crucial. Everyone should know the new expected delivery date, what caused the delay, and what is being done to fix it.
  3. It's helpful to regularly share updates about the project's progress. Using a simple color system can show how likely the project is to meet deadlines, helping everyone stay informed and manage expectations.

Segregate resources and good hygiene between AWS accounts

Thoughts from the trenches in FAANG + Indie • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Using different AWS accounts for each project helps keep resources separate and makes billing easier. This way, it's simple to track costs for each project.
  2. Having separate accounts reduces confusion and complexity for engineers. It keeps projects organized, making it easier to find the resources they need and limits mistakes.
  3. Segregated accounts also improve security, as a problem in one account won't affect others. This protects against errors and minimizes potential damage from mismanaged access.

The Pareto Principle

André Casal's Substack • 0 implied HN points • 22 Aug 24
💼 Business Project management
  1. The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, shows that a small part of your efforts can lead to most of your results. Focus on the most important tasks to make big improvements.
  2. Iterating on your product after each test drive helps you learn and improve quickly. Getting feedback from real users is key to making it better.
  3. Making your product easier to use can greatly enhance user experience. Simple changes like clearer instructions and automatic installations can solve a lot of pain points.

Building a Fly.io-like Scheduler Part 2: Resource Requirements and Multi-Region

aspiring.dev • 0 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. We can make scheduler systems smarter by adding task requirements like region and resource slots. This means a worker can only take on a task if it has the right resources available.
  2. Workers compare the incoming requests against their available resources. If they can't meet the requirements, they simply ignore the task instead of taking it.
  3. The system can be expanded to include more detailed requirements in the future, such as specific CPU types or GPU support, making it adaptable to different tasks and workloads.

Fail Safe, Fail Smart… Succeed! (Part 2 of 3)

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 0 implied HN points • 29 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Learning from failure is important. When things go wrong, take the time to understand what happened so you can do better next time.
  2. Project retrospectives help teams reflect on their work. These meetings let everyone share what went well and what didn't without placing blame.
  3. To reduce the risks of failure, use a step-by-step approach to launching new features. Start small, gather feedback, and make improvements before a full release.

When not to DRY

Vatsal’s Substack • 0 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. In the early stages of a project, it's okay to duplicate code. This can help you experiment and try out different ideas without getting bogged down.
  2. Sometimes, trying to make code too simple can make it confusing. If making code DRY makes it hard to understand, a bit of repetition might be better.
  3. In situations where speed is crucial, duplicating code can actually improve performance. Sometimes, it's more important to focus on speed than to keep everything sleek and minimal.

Weekly Notes

Rethinking Software • 0 implied HN points • 16 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Software engineering often feels like assembly-line work, where programmers are given tiny tasks with no time for deeper thinking or creativity. This can be frustrating for those who want to tackle bigger projects.
  2. There is a growing idea that people should focus on fewer tasks and prioritize quality over just being busy. This philosophy encourages a more balanced and thoughtful approach to work.
  3. Many people dislike strict management practices like Scrum, feeling they limit creativity and autonomy. They prefer a work environment where they can work freely on projects without constant oversight.

On Managing Risk in Software Projects

Anant’s Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Understand user needs clearly to avoid creating features that don't solve problems; involve users early in testing to catch issues.
  2. Ensure all teams understand their roles and dependencies to prevent surprises; clarify API contracts and dependencies early on.
  3. Plan integration and testing carefully; start integrating early and create detailed testing plans to ensure everything works before launch.

Winding down some projects

Expand Mapping with Mike Morrow • 0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Winding down projects can help clear your mind and spark new creativity. It feels refreshing to have a clean slate.
  2. The author decided to shut down some web applications that were not heavily used. It felt like a waste to keep them running without much purpose.
  3. Getting rid of unneeded projects can open the door for new ideas. It's good to let go of things that no longer inspire you.

🐿️ Procrustes - The Insanely profitable Tech Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. When faced with too many demands, focus on solving the customer's most important problems first. It’s better to tackle what's truly necessary rather than trying to please everyone.
  2. Communication is key. A skilled account manager can help manage expectations and guide clients toward what they actually need instead of what they want.
  3. It’s important to distinguish between essential requirements and nice-to-have features. This clarity can help teams deliver projects successfully and on time.

Improve your Productivity as a Solopreneur with Multiple Micro-Startups and a Full-Time Job

layoffpreneur • 0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 23
💼 Business Project management
  1. Managing time effectively is crucial for solopreneurs with a full-time job. Tools like time blocking and task prioritization can help.
  2. Project management tools like Trello and Asana are essential for handling multiple micro-startups and a full-time job.
  3. Taking breaks, practicing self-care, and using automation tools can help solopreneurs stay productive and avoid burnout.

How to understand deadlines (as a developer)

Bad Software Advice • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Deadlines can make developers feel rushed and stressed. It's common to make quick fixes that won't last, leading to more work later.
  2. Developers often don't see the bigger picture of a project. They might not understand why a 'bad' version of a product is needed to learn what works best.
  3. Not every project needs to be perfect from the start. Sometimes you need a rough version to figure things out before building something better.

Season 03 - Newsletter 05 --> Making an impact in the Maze: Finding the Gray Areas

Product Hustle Stack Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
💼 Business Project management
  1. Find opportunities in big organizations by looking for gray areas and interesting projects.
  2. Build trust and influence by getting wins under your belt and collaborating with peers as allies.
  3. Communicate effectively by acknowledging past efforts, addressing motivations, and customizing messages to each stakeholder.

10x Controlling Project Skies

10xManager • 0 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Visibility is crucial for effective engineering leadership, just like air traffic controllers oversee busy airspace.
  2. Gaining visibility into software development processes helps in anticipating challenges and optimizing team performance.
  3. Engineering leaders can benefit from tools that offer comprehensive visibility and insights for managing projects successfully.

Software Projects: Sink or Swim

Bismuth • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Establishing and maintaining consistent patterns in a software project is crucial for long-term maintainability and success.
  2. Thorough testing, especially of core business logic and high-risk features, is essential to prevent bugs and ensure code maintainability over time.
  3. High-quality documentation is vital for attracting users, helping new contributors, and ensuring the long-term success and growth of a software project.

Top 5 Kanban Tools to Streamline Your Workflow

Weekend Developer • 0 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Project management
  1. Using a physical wall with sticky notes can be a simple and effective way to create a Kanban board for task management.
  2. Draw.io is a versatile tool that includes a Kanban template and can help in creating flowcharts and diagrams.
  3. Trello and Jira are among the top Kanban tools, with Trello being simple and suitable for personal projects, while Jira is commonly used in organizations and offers a free version for small teams.