Nitobi/PhoneGap at Bootup 2011
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Nitobi was moving from products to services in 2007-2008 and faced a choice between specializing or remaining agnostic in their technology stack. They chose to remain agnostic and focused on being web-based. As mobile trends emerged, they began experimenting with mobile development which led to the creation of PhoneGap in 2008 to build mobile apps using web technologies. Since then, PhoneGap has grown significantly and Nitobi's business has evolved to focus more on services related to mobile development.
Nitobi/PhoneGap at Bootup 2011
- 1. Nitobi/PhoneGap A serious look at serious business.
- 5. coincidence?
- 6. a meme is born
- 7. follow along... @andrecharland @brianleroux @nitobi @phonegap
- 8. 2007-ish Nitobi moving from products to services.
- 9. two choices specialization or agnosticism
- 10. specialize Know one thing well.
- 11. agnostic ‣ generalized devs (tricky to do) ‣ hire specialists (expensive to do)
- 12. pragmatic Be of the web.
- 13. detractors of web tech are an endangered species Tanner Glass leaves them be.
- 14. web tech stack • the new frontline for browser wars is js engine execution • this leading to server impls like NodeJS • also seeing huge grfx perf improvements for things like WebGL
- 15. Ruby on Rails?
- 16. how we do • billable; hourly --- NO FIXED BIDS EVAR • track our time to the minute • estimates are in the spirit of literal meaning of the word • iterate; weekly or daily builds
- 17. crucial factors • revision control • unit tests • issue tracking • automated daily/weekly builds
- 18. non technical factors • UX and IxD own the product • Ship a min viable product • YAGNI
- 19. Ship EARLY • if a client wants it in a month see what can be launched in two weeks • long hours are detrimental to success: CUT SCOPE
- 20. Our office is mobile • basecamp to keep clients honest • git and github for issues, rcs, collab • harvest/coopapp for time tracking • google docs for other artifacts
- 21. we’ll throw out all those tools if a client has an existing system in place
- 22. key to agnosticism Stay on top of new tech. Listen to the devs.
- 24. time to build our acumen • @davejohnson started hacking his BlackBerry • @infil00p ordered himeself a G1 • rest of us coveted our man jewellery iPhones
- 26. byproduct simple rules 1. find a tough problem 2. *attempting* to solve it is more than anyone else is doing 3. you have just created value 4. sometimes you can turn value into money
- 27. new problems • now our business is 75% services • those services were all over the map but none where in mobile
- 28. continued to build the story and acumen • 20% time hacking • related passion projects • informed our clients of our mobile war stories
- 29. evolution • phonegap/android came a month later • phonegap/blackberry a month after that • we now support: • ios, android, bb, symbian, webos, bada • soon: meego, wp7
- 30. solve problem when you have them. • git and github is fantastic. really you should be using it. (until you shouldn’t) • added a wiki when we needed docs • added a mailing list when we needed to support ppl using the software • formal docs came last year
- 32. growing up • taking outside contributers • having a formal release schedule • planning our future battles
- 33. two types of tech problems
- 34. • science • big ball of mud
- 35. science • distributed map/reduce • mapping the human genome • putting a gyroscope into orbit in one shot on a multibillion dollar budget
- 36. big ball of mud • mvc framework for language X • unit test frameworks for language X • dom library • any impedance mismatch, really
- 37. take away • tech deprecates: you do not have to • foster learning • use devs wisely; ask them about passion projects
- 38. YOUR tech deprecates • maintenance is not a chore • grand rewrites are paths to failure • you need advocates that are customers
- 39. marketing • not free but damn cheap • speak at confs • give away as much IP as possible • identify byproducts of value and champion
- 40. marketing cont.. • blogs last forever: urls • tweets connect ppl • 3 min shitty screencast > polished docs
- 41. dev happyness • devs create value writing code • do everything you can to maximize that time inc 20% time • NO OVERTIME. • free them of noise, meetings, etc • give them the best tools, confs, etc • team w/ a rad UX / IxD person
- 42. dev happyness 2 • don’t hire ‘rockstars’: create them • foster DISPASSIONATE devs • critical thinking > marketing dept zealotry • eradicate attachment to anything: ALL TECH DEPRECATES • have fun with it.
- 43. new direction • mullet business model • services that feed products that create services
- 44. Questions? Code? Hockey time nao?
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