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Ask HN: How do you manage part time projects?

5 pointsum30411y ago7 comments

Hi,

We are a team of 3 developers who are working on a part time project (our own product idea), which started as a very simple weekend project, but over the time has grown into a mammoth, which is getting hard to tame.

We do cut down the scope again and again, but it doesn't seem to help. We are struggling with visibility, estimations and eventually control. Everyone is motivated in the beginning, but eventually ambiguity creeps in, which kills the motivation of team with time.

My question is to all startup founders, particularly those who are building MVPs in part time, out there:

* How do you manage your projects so you don't lose control?

* How do you keep ambiguity at bay?

* How do you keep motivation of your founding team up when you're slogging?

Thank you.

7 comments

7 comments · 3 top-level

michaelpinto11y ago· 2 in thread

I know it's old fashioned and out of style with kids these days, but I believe there is real value to PM style shown in the book The Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks. Here is what Brooks might recommend to you:

1. How do you keep ambiguity at bay?

You have a nailed specification. If there isn't one stop everything and put one into place right away.

2. How do you manage your projects so you don't lose control?

Someone needs to be the Project Manager. By the way Peter Drucker would tell you that it's hard to be the maker and the manager (in fact he advises against it).

So as a PM you have to estimate man hours (vs. calendar time). Break down every feature and figure out how many hours are required. A trick I use as a PM is I ask my team members "Is this something that takes an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year?". I then track their estimated time based on track record and make adjustments (some coders are good at this, some are bad).

If you add or change a feature, revise your estimate.

3. How do you keep motivation of your founding team up when you're slogging?

It depends why it's going south: Is this a death march, or is it just a lack of a plan? It also depends on why the team members are doing the project to start with.

um304OP11y ago

Thanks @michaelpinto, your comment is helpful. I know some bits of project estimation, but I'm looking for some cohesive strategy that'd help us develop an operating rhythm. I'll read the book you suggested. Thanks for the pointers.

michaelpinto11y ago

You know I think I may have read that book almost 20 years ago and it really changed my life -- good luck w your project!

MichaelCrawford11y ago· 2 in thread

Do you all live near each other, or are you remote?

If you live near enough each other, take a whole day off from your project to do something fun, like go to an amusement park.

um304OP11y ago

Thanks Michael. We live in same city, but how does taking off a day help in project management?

MichaelCrawford11y ago

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

My point is that if you take some time off to do something fun together, then on the days when you are working you'll be more productive.

phantom_oracle11y ago

I just have 1 question.

Is the product already out there? (as in a literal MINIMUM viable product?)

If not, then that should be your only goal and 1 strategy towards reaching that goal is to cut-down the time to reach the market.

If your market isn't some advanced technology (like a new performance-enhanced DB), then you should already be out there.

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