CONFIDENTIAL © 2000 – iRapid Cell-Based Development, Growth, and Culture A beginning… Luis...

© 2000 – iRapid CONFIDENTIAL

Cell-Based Development,

Growth, and CultureA beginning…

Luis [email protected]

August 2000


Outline

• A project team• The different roles• An engagement• Engagement timeline• The pillars of our growth

– Training the trainers– Academic ties– Fair compensation– Senior pioneers

• Growth estimates• How you can help


A Project Team

Engineer (x6)

Technical Lead(Cell 1)

Engineer (x6)

Technical Lead(Cell 2)

QA Eng. (x6)

QA Lead(for project)

ProjectM anager

Architect

PM runs the project from start to finish. Responsibilities include time &

cost estimation and control, interfacing with the customer, and

preserving the morale. They defer to the Architect in technical matters

The Architect is engaged early on in the process, and drives the technical

aspects throughout. Works in tandem with the PM and defers to him the day-

to-day managing, concentrating instead on technical excellence and

mentoring the resources.

A development cell is a self-sustaining

group of developers which can do both

design and build for a subsystem. The technical lead is

capable of communicating on

par with the architect, able to design and

mentor junior team members. These

technical leads are future architects. This project is big enough for two cells. All projects need a QA

cell, staffed to ½ of development effort.


The different roles

ArchitectArchitects drive the translation and construction of a client's complex business problems into innovative technology solutions within a multidisciplinary environment. Key responsibilities include overseeing the development, design, user interface, and technology integration direction, site architecture management, and managing a technology team from definition phase through implementation. Architects must have excellent written and oral communication skills, creativity and innovation, and the ability to lead a team in a fast-paced multidisciplinary environment. Candidates must have a Bachelors degree in a related field or equivalent experience, 2-4 years experience in systems integration and development, package implementation, and/or interactive design, and strong familiarity of application servers and other technologies and products that support e-Business .

Specialties:

Microsoft

J2EE

DBA

Security

Networking

Infrastructure

Protocols

Project ManagerProject Managers oversee large, complex projects, maximizing profitability by controlling and understanding the business environment and work product. Key responsibilities include directing and evaluating project vision and strategy, accountability for project completion and team management, defining and driving project deliverables, and facilitating large and small project teams. Senior Project Managers must be able to define, create, and maintain a project plan, manage day-to-day client communication, allocate resources, and maintain team productivity and morale in high-pressure situations. Candidates must have a Bachelors degree in management, business or similar field, 4+ years in professional services or consulting, 2-4 years of managerial experience, as well as the ability to manage multidisciplinary projects with 30+ people.


The different roles (cont’d)

Software/QA EngineerEngineers play a critical role in technology implementations for Internet-related projects. Key responsibilities include creating prototypes, specifying functionality, integrating systems, implementing packages, assisting in site architecture creation and maintenance, and participating in a multidisciplinary team environment, testing. Engineers must have creativity, innovation, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Candidates must have a Bachelors degree in a related field, 0-1 year of experience in systems integration and development, package implementation, and/or interactive design, knowledge of multiple technologies, including but not limited to CGI, HTML, DHTML, XML, NAS, JavaScript, Java, VBScript, Visual Basic, PL/SQL, Oracle Developer 2000 Tools, C/C++, Perl, TCL, RDBMS, CORBA, COM/DCOM, Flash, and Shockwave. Experience with relational databases and user-centered analysis and evaluation techniques preferred

Technologies:

Java

C++

CORBA

COM

RMI

…

Quality Assurance LeadQA Leads are responsible for driving the application deployment through the QA process by effectively interacting with application developers to elucidate and synthesize testing requirements into a QA plan and executing it. The goal is to ensure that the application is deployed having met the client’s expectations. QA Leads are self-starters, with a get-it-done personality with high degree of motivation. They have adaptability to rapidly changing conditions, very good communication skills and at least 3 years of testing experience with Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. Experience with popular UNIX systems (SUN, HP) is desired. Experience testing object-oriented programming techniques and distributed object techniques (e.g., CORBA, DCOM). Testing knowledge of Java, VC++, distributed object standards, strong scripting ability, Microsoft Windows User Interface standards. Strong experience with testing life cycle/strong functional testing skills. Efficiency and methodological approach. Experience with the product release process. Must have professional services/consulting QA experience


The different roles (cont’d)

(some of these might

not be necessary at first, but as iRapid grows and expands they will

come into the picture)

eStrategistseStrategists participate in a wide range of assignments in a variety of industries. Responsibilities include developing and managing relationships with key clients, defining client problems and scoping solutions, analyzing data and formulating recommendations, preparing and delivering client presentations, and coaching other consultants. eStrategists must have outstanding conceptual, analytical, communication, and presentation skills, highly developed organization, teaming, and management capability, and the ability to juggle multiple priorities. Candidates must have an advanced degree with 3+ years of business experience including work in the e-business/e-commerce arena, and the willingness to travel frequently.

eAnalystseAnalysts work on a wide range of assignments as integral members of a consulting team. Responsibilities include conducting primary and secondary research, gathering, organizing, and analyzing data, participating in problem definition and analysis, and preparing client presentations. eAnalysts must have highly developed analytical and conceptual skills, knowledge of statistical modeling, excellent interpersonal and written communications skills, and the ability to juggle multiple priorities. Candidates must have a Bachelors degree, experience in the e-business/e-commerce arena, and the willingness to travel frequently.


Still more roles (cont’d)

Creative Practice LeadThe Creative Practice Lead is responsible for the development of the practice, including: ensuring the quality and consistency of client work, fostering innovation, supporting client development and providing strategic direction to a range of internal and external projects Tasks include: Manage growth and development of Experience Design department., recruit, mentor and train design talent, support enterprise-wide efforts in developing and refining experience design methodology, guide experience designs teams through concept development and provide direction throughout project, support client development efforts through client interaction and proposal generation.

Customer Experience Architect (HFE)Customer Experience Architects (CEAs) are seasoned, creative professionals who act as the customer experience visionaries, strategists and managers on eBusiness projects. CEAs have a solid understanding of user research, information architecture, user interface design, content strategy and visual design for e-businesses. They possess an innovative outlook and a customer-centric point of view and are experts in eBusiness industry customer trends.

Information ArchitectsInformation Architects (IAs) design the organization and delivery of a consistent, logical, and navigable customer experience based on the underlying business processes and content strategy. IAs work closely with eStrategists, Customer Experience Architects and Content Strategists. They are responsible for targeting features and functionality for the site and to determine designs that structure and communicate the information most effectively to target audiences. IAs are responsible for the development of a site map during the Architect_Scope stage and work closely with the User Interface Engineer to design the page-level interaction and user interface.

Specialties:

Human Factors

Localization

Foreign Lang.

Content Management


This is the last one

ProducerThe primary responsibility for the Producer is day-to-day task management of all Creative team efforts. Working closely with the Project Manager and the Customer Experience Architect, the Producer ensures all Customer Experience tasks and deliverables are integrated into the project. This role includes assisting the Project Manager in the creation of project plans, making staffing recommendations, developing tactical solutions to implement Customer Experience deliverables, and tracking and coordinating the workflow and deliverables.

Front-End/UI EngineersFEUI Engineers are responsible for conceiving and documenting innovative user interface solutions. FEUIs design the task and interaction flow for the product, design the page-level interaction and user interface, and maintain and document the design. They are also responsible for integrating design concepts and back-end technology into optimized, high-performance HTML code for large eBusiness Web sites. They have a solid understanding of information architecture, user interface design, and visual design in addition to mastery of HTML. They work closely with team members to establish front-end technology requirements, review design solutions, make recommendations for the integration of new technologies, and in resolving these integration issues.

DesignerA Designer works at the intersection of design and technology. They excel when working in a cross-disciplinary environment. The Designer uses creative problem-solving skills to deliver innovative, unique, integrated graphic design systems. They are responsible for creating the visual identity and the “look & feel” that translates project objectives and brand positioning into a compelling user experience interface.

Technologies:

HTML/DHTML

Java

Photoshop

Quark

MacroMedia

ColdFusion

etc…


An engagement(*)

Identification

Definition

Execution

The sales organization identifies a potential project, engages the project manager, and identifies a possible architect. Performs back-of-the-envelope feasibility study to determine if this is an opportunity worth pursuing.

The PM, the Architect, and possibly some of the Tech Leads in the project team

work with client to define scope and requirements of the work, as well as the high-level architecture.

PM keeps control, Architect + Tech Leads design, architect moves on, tech leads and cells develop and test.

Estimate of effort andcompetencies required

High level architectureRequirements documentCritical Success Factors

System deployedSunset report

(*) Simplified overview


Engagement timeline

Identification Definition Execution

0 2 6 16-26

WEEKS

CLOSE CLIENT INTERACTION VIRTUAL TEAM POSSIBLE

Sales & Marketing Project Manager

Architect

Cell Lead (Tech/QA)

Cell Engineers


Growth strategy - Pillars

• Positive-feedback organic growth. That is, train the trainers

• Aggressive partnering with academic and research institutions

• World-class compensation

• Jump-start with very senior people to get pipeline in place


Training the trainers

Updated Base Curriculum

Post Graduation Training

iRapid Methodology

• Currently developing, in conjunction with academia, updated curricula in latest technologies (i.e. J2EE, XML, UML)

• Training class in latest tools, technologies, and “practices from the field”, jointly sponsored and taught by iRapid and local universities. Selective entry into the class, tuition to be collected by university and to be used to fund their standard curriculum enhancements (above). Successful completion of training program guarantees a position within the iRapid family.

• As an iRapid employee, incubation period in our cell-based development methodology, exposure to different projects, and update on our virtual software development tools.

3-6 mos

3-6 mos

Sr. yr


Can’t do it alone

• Collaboration arrangements with: • MIT, Cambridge, USA

• LIFIA, La Plata, Argentina

• University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

• Catholic University, Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina

• National Technical University, Argentina (country-wide)

• Manasa Internet, India

• Aggressively expanding strategic allies• Early identification and recruitment of high-potential iRapid family members

• Centers of excellence to develop intellectual capital, ready to be tapped into for the most complex problems


Not a “body shop”

• iRapid’s founding vision is to become a referent for excellence in systems development

• In order to provide world-class value, and compete globally, we need to attract the best talent

• Plus, our organic growth is predicated on the preference of many of our foreign engineers to remain in their countries, fueling their economies and consequently iRapid’s growth. Competitive compensation is a big enticement to stay

• Furthermore, it’s the only moral thing to do…


Experienced pioneers…

In order to establish our pipeline, and be able to absorb the fresh graduates in time, we need to jump-start our organization by running our initial pilot projects with very senior personnel, therefore increasing our lead-to-architect ratio and consequently our cell count and corporate muscle for taking more projects.

For example, the following is the profile of some of the people in one of our pioneering teams in Argentina…

- Cell lead: tenured professor of leading university and MIS of the city’s largest newspaper, 12+ years of experience in industry and academia, experienced manager in the information technology sector

- Engineer 1: Best-in-class independent consultant with 10+ years of experience. Architected and led several projects in engagements for IBM, Coca Cola, Motorola, and others.

- Engineer 2: assistant professor in leading university, experienced consultant with engagements in top companies.


Growth expectations

Time 0: senior pioneers in each country, led by the architects in iRapid’s foundational team, engage in pilot projects. At the same time, arrangements are being made to start training the upcoming seniors from school and to put the virtual development tools in place. Substantial help from our advisory board and our strategic allies in academia and industry.

After successful completion of pilot projects, our senior pioneers have an excellent chance of having graduated to architects and thus are ready to receive the influx of graduates.

This process slows down a bit after the first few iterations (i.e. after exhausting the experienced people in the marketplace) but maintains a healthy steady state.

Advisory board member or academic / industry partner.

Initial “senior pioneers” or experienced hires.

School graduates.iRapid founding and mgmt team


How can you help

• We need to build these “pioneer cells” with senior team members (who can easily become architects). Identification of these potential employees is critical. We need to estimate not only the number of cells available at launch, but more importantly the fan-out of each cell into a new one (once the school graduates are ready to join)

• We are also evaluating best-practices in terms of methodology and tools for virtual software development.

• And much more! (please contact [email protected])

CONFIDENTIAL © 2000 – iRapid Cell-Based Development, Growth, and Culture A beginning… Luis...

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