Comments on: Project Management http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/ Thoughts on MMOs, gaming, social spaces, development, and whatever else interests me in a day. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:07:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: The Hiram Key http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-874 The Hiram Key Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:37:32 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-874 I wish I could say to Scott... "How can I miss you if you won't go away" but alas, I cannot. I wish I could say to Scott… “How can I miss you if you won’t go away” but alas, I cannot.

]]> By: Illuminator http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-873 Illuminator Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:15:45 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-873 I wonder if anyone has yet attempted to fit Toyota's R&D process to game development. I wonder if anyone has yet attempted to fit Toyota’s R&D process to game development.

]]> By: Babs http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-868 Babs Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:35:53 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-868 You're so very right, Scott. Even the best project managers have horror stories as recent as their last project no matter how much buffer they've allowed. I agree with Cyanbane that buying time during the planning stages is critical to good management; many projects don't get the planning they require. But even if you have the best estimates in place there's always that 'x' factor that screams, "Ahaha! Gotcha!" You’re so very right, Scott. Even the best project managers have horror stories as recent as their last project no matter how much buffer they’ve allowed. I agree with Cyanbane that buying time during the planning stages is critical to good management; many projects don’t get the planning they require. But even if you have the best estimates in place there’s always that ‘x’ factor that screams, “Ahaha! Gotcha!”

]]> By: Swifty http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-867 Swifty Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:58:17 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-867 In an interview with Clint Eastwood , he said he looks at the time he needs for a scene, and thinks, well I can do that in 2 days, but I have the budget for 4 days. So he puts it in for 4 days, and gets it done in 3. This is why he has a rep for finishing early and under budget. In an interview with Clint Eastwood , he said he looks at the time he needs for a scene, and thinks, well I can do that in 2 days, but I have the budget for 4 days. So he puts it in for 4 days, and gets it done in 3. This is why he has a rep for finishing early and under budget.

]]> By: Cyanbane http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-866 Cyanbane Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:54:50 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-866 Being a good manager just means just having the foresight to buy time in the planning stage rather than after it. Being a good manager just means just having the foresight to buy time in the planning stage rather than after it.

]]> By: The Hiram Key http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-864 The Hiram Key Thu, 29 May 2008 22:28:28 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-864 As Moorard indicated, the Scotty principle is always the best method. As Moorard indicated, the Scotty principle is always the best method.

]]> By: Manas http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-863 Manas Thu, 29 May 2008 21:29:59 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-863 Scott, Congratz on the being ranked as one of the top twenty most influential people in the MMO WORLD! Really awesome and based on everything I am seeing in the MMO world when compared to what you did with eq2, well deserved! My compliments! Now get to work on something new....we need you. Manas/John Former Pantheon (circa 1999/2000) Scott,

Congratz on the being ranked as one of the top twenty most influential people in the MMO WORLD!

Really awesome and based on everything I am seeing in the MMO world when compared to what you did with eq2, well deserved!

My compliments! Now get to work on something new….we need you.

Manas/John
Former Pantheon (circa 1999/2000)

]]> By: Almeric http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-861 Almeric Tue, 27 May 2008 19:27:45 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-861 I was always taught to give project estimates 1.5 to 2 times as long as I really expected it to take. Not to make myself look like a miracle worker, mind, but because of your second point above! There's always going to be plenty of things you forgot you might need, as well as time to correct errors (maybe by you, maybe not), to put out fires, to sit in 1 hour meetings that don't conclude for 4 days, and so on ;) Managing projects is quite the rollercoaster! I was always taught to give project estimates 1.5 to 2 times as long as I really expected it to take. Not to make myself look like a miracle worker, mind, but because of your second point above!

There’s always going to be plenty of things you forgot you might need, as well as time to correct errors (maybe by you, maybe not), to put out fires, to sit in 1 hour meetings that don’t conclude for 4 days, and so on ;) Managing projects is quite the rollercoaster!

]]> By: Nick McLaren http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-860 Nick McLaren Tue, 27 May 2008 06:05:13 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-860 Ahh so true, and the endless push will always be there to make sure your team is "adequately stressed", which effectively translates to "how much work can we get the team to pull off without pushing them to the point of total burn-out". In our case, with Scrum, we're constantly looking at our story point velocity and how we can increase it. I've found that sometimes this can lead members of a sprint team to want to appease by grabbing that large story point item, but if they aren't mindful about buffering their time at least a little, you could easily be looking at a sprint de-scoping session a few weeks down the road.. which also seems to come across as a negative from the eyes of the management team. In the end.. even in an Agile environment, giving yourself extra breathing room is critical. I'd rather see people getting stories completed early and grabbing more, than over-committing and failing every sprint. Good post! Cheers, Nick Ahh so true, and the endless push will always be there to make sure your team is “adequately stressed”, which effectively translates to “how much work can we get the team to pull off without pushing them to the point of total burn-out”.

In our case, with Scrum, we’re constantly looking at our story point velocity and how we can increase it. I’ve found that sometimes this can lead members of a sprint team to want to appease by grabbing that large story point item, but if they aren’t mindful about buffering their time at least a little, you could easily be looking at a sprint de-scoping session a few weeks down the road.. which also seems to come across as a negative from the eyes of the management team.

In the end.. even in an Agile environment, giving yourself extra breathing room is critical. I’d rather see people getting stories completed early and grabbing more, than over-committing and failing every sprint.

Good post!

Cheers,

Nick

]]> By: Moorgard http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-859 Moorgard Tue, 27 May 2008 04:07:29 +0000 http://www.hartsman.com/2008/05/26/project-management/#comment-859 This is why Scotty always padded his estimates. There's a reason they called him the miracle worker. This is why Scotty always padded his estimates. There’s a reason they called him the miracle worker.

]]>