The intellectual property transfer agreement just happened a few minutes ago. Rather than this website saying "By Derek Huether" it's going to start saying "By HueCubed". The logo should be deployed in the next day or so.
The Critical Path Week Ending February 13
This week we dealt with the great blizzard of 2010. It provided me extra time to write. Then again, it took that extra time I thought I was going to spend on vacation. My wife thinks I live in a world where everything is related to project management. I go on a little rant about treating your customers right and then also lend an ear to my colleagues. Read how I handle being both the sponsor and the project manager on a project.
2/7/2010
Snow Removal From an Agile PM Perspective
With our home getting hit with over 30 inches of snow in one weekend, I compared our HOA and the snow removal team to an Agile team. Read how they went from failure to success, in one customer's eyes...
2/8/2010
My Big Fat Greek Project
My wife compares me to the father on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I'm no Gus Portokalos, but give me a word, any word, and I will show you that the root of that word is Greek. Actually, show me a scenario, any scenario, and I will show you how it can be related back to Project Management. If that doesn't do it for you, just put some Windex on it...
2/9/2010
The FedGov Fail Day 3
Jhaymee (@TheGreenPM) Wilson inspired this post. I was frustrated the Federal Government would be closed for 3 days in a row. I believed we could all be working, at least in a limited capacity, from home. If the Federal Government could have a plan in place for H1N1, why the hell couldn't plan for snow?...
2/10/2010
MS Project Task Types – Fixed Work – Units – Duration
Upon reviewing a vendor’s Integrated Master Schedule, created in MS Project, I noticed something very peculiar. Where some tasks could clearly be marked as Fixed Duration, everything was Fixed Units. In the post, I include a YouTube video to help you understand the difference between Fixed Work, Fixed Units, and Fixed Duration...
THE most important thing is the customer
...You’re welcome? Did I say thank you? No, I didn’t. I offered a pleasantry. Just have a nice day. Goodbye, our business relationship has completed. Have a nice life...Listen to them. Be polite. Deliver value.
2/11/2010
How Do You Know Your Metrics Are Worth It
So you want to create some metrics. More importantly, someone has told you that you need to create some metrics. How do you know if you’re just making work for yourself or if you’re just putting a spin on the same old data?...
2/12/2010
Sometimes It Is Best To Just Listen
It was the first day our team had been together in a week. The DC FedGov closures have really rattled people. As contractors and consultants, we are not Government employees. We play by different rules. Depending on your contract, if the FedGov is closed, you may not get paid...
2/13/2010
The Difficult Task of Managing My Logo Selection Project
Using 99Designs has allowed me to crowd source a design. I listed the price I was willing to pay, the duration of the contest and provided as much background information as possible to enable designers to provide me with quality submissions. We immediately entered a rapid prototyping stage...
The Difficult Task of Managing My Logo Selection Project
In preparation of the formal launch of my startup company and product, there has to be branding. Back in August 2009, I was watching Episode 13 of This Week in Startups. In it, there was an interview with the founder of a disruptive startup which connects passionate designers from around the globe with savvy clients who need design projects completed in a timely fashion without the usual risk or cost associated with professional design. The company is called 99Designs. With less than 30 days from our launch, it is time to complete a scheduled task titled "Get logo for HueCubed".
Without going into the specifics of the overarching HueCubed project in this post, I knew I needed to manage a very short "Get Logo" project.
Get Logo Project Details
Budget: $150 Schedule: February 7 - February 14, 2010 Scope: Logo for branding the HueCubed properties and products, to include TheCriticalPath blog
When you're managing your own project, where you are both the project manager and the sponsor, things tend to get a little skewed. I believe I bring passion to every project. But, because I'm standing in the sponsor shoes this time, I now appreciate the sponsor perspective more.
Using 99Designs has allowed me to crowd source a design. I listed the price I was willing to pay, the duration of the contest and provided as much background information as possible to enable designers to provide me with quality submissions. We immediately entered a rapid prototyping stage. As quickly as the designers submitted and as quickly as I provided feedback, we had more and more iterations to refine our idea. Just hours before the closing of the contest, we have 77 entries.
When you're bootstrapping a startup, you do what you can with the resources you have. Thank you to Jason Calacanis for creating and hosting This Week in Startups. It has really given me tools I need to make my startup happen. Watch the program on ustream.tv or download it from iTunes. Once this contest ends, and the logo is selected, I'll write a follow-up post. Though I can only select one logo, I was really impressed by all of the designers.