We have been pushing ourselves so hard and so long to get to 11/23.
Why?
Because on 10/26 our group laid out our launch road map:
- 11/23 - launch user sign up and ability to invite friends
- 12/7 - internal launch only, load merchants into the system
- 12/18 - launch actual deal purchase functionality and paypoints
Then it happened.
A mad dash for the finish line involving 7 straight days of 20+ hour shifts.
We reach the point of testing and snap! Major technology glitch.
Now our team quickly diagnosed the issue and was able to set a plan to fix it.
However, it meant having to delay the first launch. And, not just delay it a day, it meant delaying at least 2 days (no one should launch a platform the day before thanksgiving and then spend all of thanksgiving watching the results).
Regardless of the event and the outcome, I felt helpless.
I'm not a coder. I don't develop technology.
I rely on my team to do this, and to do it perfectly.
When something breaks I have no way of helping to fix the problem.
This is an awful feeling.
On top of that, I find myself continuing to dance with balance. A user doesn't know the full vision, and will except things not built yet because as long as they find value in current iterations they will accept evolution.
I grapple with patience.
My perspective has to float between motivating a team, driving something I can't do myself, erasing all my built up notions to think in terms of a first time user (while excepting nothing less than our product being the definition of intuitive), and constantly reiterating the vision and purpose of our journey.
This is and will be a continued learning curve, and right now I wish I was higher up on it.
My solace today...a team feeling more motivated to do this right than any other team I've ever seen before.
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Wanting to help others live what tomorrow brings.
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