Here at Cloudmanic Labs, we’re always looking for ways to tame the document pile. Whether it’s receipts or certificates, emails or e-bills, paper or digital, the trappings of running a business can be difficult to keep track of.

That’s all about to change.

We want to let you know about something we’re working on. It’s called Heapless, and it’s an organizational tool will help you lose the heap. It’s going to be like having a dozen assistants at your beck and call.

Like all of our products, Heapless was designed to enhance the efficiency of your office. Heapless is a solution to a problem almost everyone has. 

Heapless isn’t ready for prime time just yet, but we’re hard at work on getting it there. If you’d like to be notified when Heapless launches, visit our website and sign up for Heapless news.

As the year comes to a close, we’re thinking about all we’re grateful for in 2011 and what we’re looking forward to in 2012.

First and foremost, we’re thankful to you for making 2011 a terrific year. This has been a stellar 12 months in many ways:

• Skyclerk’s growth this year was beyond our wildest dreams. In order to keep our product up to par, we spent a lot of time scaling Skyclerk and making tweaks based on your feedback. Having to switch our name to Skyclerk was a setback, but we came out of just fine and love our “new” name. It was one glitch among many highlights. We released iPhone and Android apps, which have been well-received by users. We also built and strengthened partnerships with other companies, including Shoeboxed.com.
• Grapeshare, which started as a side project to satisfy our love of wine, was launched. This project is still very new but is off to a fantastic start, with more and more users posting about the wines they love every day.

As good as the last year was, we’re eagerly looking towards what we’ll be bringing you in 2012. A few of the things to keep an eye on:

• With Skyclerk, we’re going to build on the successes we’ve had so far. That means doing more of what we’ve been doing: Listening more to users, building more features based on that feedback, and doing more to find new and creative ways to make bookkeeping and accounting dead simple. You’re the reason we’re here; it’s always our goal to meet your needs.
• Just like a fine wine, we anticipate that Grapeshare will only get better as time goes by. However, Cloudmanic Labs has moved on from Grapeshare. It has become very clear Grapeshare is going to grow into a thriving business. Grapeshare has a great team working on it everyday. While we are no longer formally involved we chat with the team every day and will continue to promote Grapeshare. We love our focus on small business and felt Grapeshare was too far out of our wheel house.  Grapeshare made our 2011 New Year letter because it was a big part of our year and we know it is going to have a very exciting 2012.
• Finally, we’ll be rolling out our newest project, Heapless, in early 2012. Heapless is another tool – like Skyclerk – to support the paperless office. You know those heaps of paper that can pile up on your desk? If so, then you have a pretty good idea of what Heapless can help you with. Look for more on Heapless in the coming months.

Again, without you, none of the highlights on this list exist. Thanks for your input, which keeps us striving for our best. Here’s to you! Cheers!

It was probably a decade ago, in the midst of my angst ridden teen years, that I decided New Year’s Resolutions were a load of crap. 

My own personal case study has proven me correct: January 1st means a month of fighting to get on a treadmill at the gym.  All the people who hate to work out, but resolve to go every day because HEY!  NEW YEAR?  NEW YOU!  Time to flatten those abs and tighten that ass, right?  No more carbs or chocolate, RIGHT?

Wrong.

“Diets” are always the new black in a new year.  At least until February when the gym clears out again.

So yeah, I gave up trying to be “better” every new year.  And who could blame me with all that Y2K (and now 2012) end-of-the-world stuff?  Why not just party like it’s 1999?  Live fast, die young.  Mr James Dean said so.

But that doesn’t really work either.  I don’t really believe that I will live to see the world end.  And I don’t really care to die young.

So my mantra the last few years has simply been: Outdo Yourself.  Basically, have a better year than the last.  Do something different.  Fly by the seat of your pants.  Whatever the cost, go do interesting shit so you have something to put in your memoir.  Or at least a great Facebook status to make your friends jealous.

It’s been an interesting few years: in 2009 I was art directing a magazine in NYC and working myself to the ground.  A layoff at the end of the year turned 2010 into a tour of South America and part of the US.  2011 I decided to give the deuces to my beloved Brooklyn and try out a low key west coast lifestyle.

That brings us to 2012.  The ghost of Christmas future. 

I had a few vague ideas of what this next year should accomplish, but it wasn’t until this fine gentleman pointed me in the direction of this outrageous lady’s blog post that I discovered I could indeed make resolutions.  In the form of specific and attainable goals.  In a way that gives me time as opposed to the First Of The Year Cold Turkey Syndrome.

Basically you pick a word for the year, choose 9 “life buckets”, 3 goals for each, and write down an action step for each goal at the beginning of every month.  If you don’t do it, ask yourself why not?  Maybe you didn’t want to do it in the first place.  Reevaluate.  Carry on.

My word for the year?  Those of you who know me outside of the interwebs will probably get a fantastic laugh.  Patience.  She of the instant-gratification-let’s-hop-on-the-next-train-out-of-town-I-wanted-that-done-yesterday persona has chosen the word “patience.”

Why this particular word?  Because I feel like I run around with my head cut off most of the time.  Because when I don’t get something I want within 10 seconds, I get over it and move on to the next.  If there are more than 2 people in line for coffee, I turn on my heel and walk out the door.

And I live in a town with serious slacker mentality.  You’d have thunk some of it would have worn on me by now.  You’d have been mistaken.  Apparently you can take the girl out of the rat race, but the rat race stays severely embedded into her system.

At any rate, I’m hoping that this methodology brings more focus and attention to everything I do.  Instead of walking out the door sans caffeine fix, why not take the time to snap some shots on the good old iPhone as a location reference for future photos shoots?  Or use that time to simply be, well ummmm, patient?

I live in Rose City and I rarely stop to smell the damn roses.  Here’s hoping I understand the idea of Patience a little better by 2013.

Let’s go back a couple weeks ago - prior to Twitter’s launch of the massive redesign that has been all the rage the last few days.  New, seemingly minor features kept rolling out on a pretty frequent basis.  The problem was that they were being stuffed into spaces that, at least in my mind, were supposed to be pure.  The system was getting convoluted. 

My biggest beef was with the Activity tab.  Quite frankly, I don’t care who my followers are now following.  That information doesn’t deserve its own space.  I figure the suggestions provided by Twitter must have some algorithms that create an educated guess on who and what you’re interested in.  My trust in technology is greater than my trust in most users of technology.

Overall, I was starting to get confused.  And I work on websites for a living.  In fact, I design user interfaces.  Not your average interweb persona looking for funny photos of cats to forward to my BFF and posting shout outs to my homies for a job well done drinking jagerbombs all night. 

It felt as if these changes (really, additions) were taking away the simple structure that Twitter was built upon from day one.  Not to mention the iPhone app was a process unto itself.  How many taps should it take to get to your own Tweet feed?  Definitely not as many licks as it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

I was THIS CLOSE to deactivating my Twitter account.  I cut the cord to Facebook a couple months ago and once the initial withdrawal was over, I felt lighter.  My life was my own again.  Therefore, might as well slash every social networking service that isn’t serving me.

Fast forward to the morning of December 8.  I opened the Twitter app on my iPhone and gasped with delight.  4 lovely icons populated the navigation bar.

Almost immediately I knew what they had done.  But I had to be sure.

I booted up my laptop and went straight to my first visit of the #NewTwitter.  A bigger gasp this time.  Everything was different.  Everything was lighter.  Everything was more sane than it had felt in a long time.

I’m not going to go on about the actual changes.  If you use Twitter, you’ve already seen/used the new interface.  If you’re not a Tweethead, then I’m not sure why you’re reading this in the first place.

What is by far more important to me is the WHY of this redesign.  I had an inkling, but checked the Twitter blog* for confirmation.  And I was correct. 

The redesign was due to careful consideration of how users were, uhhh, USING the service.  Through @ symbols to connect with people and hashtags (#) to discuss topics. So what did those smart cookies over at Twitter do?  They reiterated the entire site to make a better service for their consumer base REFLECTING how they were already using the site.  These design decisions were not based on what they THOUGHT users MIGHT want in their Tweet world.  They were based on evidence.  Cold.  Hard.  Facts.

This is the business model of the technology age: iteration and reiteration (hat tip to Steve Jobs).  Putting a beta version out there, seeing how it fares, and course correcting.  Testing A vs B vs C.  Streamlining instead of bloating your product with unnecessary crap.  Integrating rather than adding on like those parasites that live off their mothership shark for life.

My favorite part of the new design?  So glad you asked.  The “Compose New Tweet” icon—that perfectly lovely feather pen which shows those designers are thinking about the details.  It says “We’re a classic now. We’re here to stay. Maybe you should, too. And write something while you’re at it. Just keep it 140 characters or less.”  And yes, that quote is exactly 140 characters.

*Twitter must have edited this blog post.  When I read it the day of the launch they discussed the topics above, as well as making it easier for new users to adapt.  The post also discussed that they expected some backlash on the new interface, but that they would educate the population using this site. 

When someone reaches out to our company trying to get something from us, such as a job, or to sell us something, I always apply what I call the the “Joker Test”. All our products are free in at least a basic way, and it takes less the 30 seconds to sign up for an account. Our products are what define us. Every decision we make is going to be in terms of how we can make our products better for our customers. So why the heck would someone not take the time to learn a little about what we do before reaching out to us?

The “Joker Test” is simply a quick search to find out if the person reaching out has created an account and engaged with our product at least a bit. If the results are positive, the person passes my first screen.

It takes very little to time to understand us; with very little effort you can discover how we tick. Your proposal to us will be so much more valuable and our willingness to give you the time of day will be much higher if you just do some research before picking up the phone or sending us an email. Or you may choose to be a Joker.

I admit it. I have made many friends and family members’ ears bleed with my constant raving of a particular product once and again. When I fall in love with a product I make sure everyone around me knows. I form a complete disdain for the use of any other product. I have never understood why until recently. Beyond my comprehension, I have always loved Basecamp over Jira even though Jira does way more. It puzzles me why I love my Mac more than any other computer when Linux gives me all the control in the world. I always wondered why I am willing to pay up for a JetBlue flight when United will get me to the same place cheaper.

I stood in line for hours to be the first to buy the iPhone. The phone really was a game changer. After a year or two I dumped the iPhone and went all Android. I had this concept that I wanted more control over my phone. I did not want Apple telling me what to do with the hardware I paid for. After almost 2 years of using the Android I went back to the iPhone. I realized all the features, control, and freedom Android offered was at the cost of a shitty product. To me there was nothing engaging about using an Android. There was no emotional connection.

I think feature bloat in most products is nothing more than mind tricks. We get wrapped up in the fantasy of all the stuff we can do with those features. We feel a product is so much better because the feature list is longer. We feel if we have the control to hack away on our products they are somehow better.

So, when I say a product is no good, or better yet, another one is simply amazing, I can’t aways give you a bulleted list of the reasons for my affirmation. I can’t always define in words why one sucks me in while the other just sucks. You just sort of know when a product is top notch. You get the feeling great care and attention to detail was put into building it. You know because you find yourself engaged using it; you look forward to the next time you get to use it. It becomes a friend to you, rather than a utility.

Think of it this way. I can’t tell you every reason why I love my wife, I don’t really know. I am not completely sure why I chose to spend the rest of my life with her. There is something so engaging about her that it brings out all my passion. Products that don’t suck are the same way.

Exciting news: We just launched Grapeshare, new social network that lets you share the wine you love with friends.

At Cloudmanic, we like wine. For years, the team has talked about wine, discovering new wine, keeping track of wines we have enjoyed, and how there needed to be a better way to share wine with friends. We looked at different wine apps, but there was no elegant tool for what they wanted. We wanted something easier and beautiful. And something that we could use to not only track wines, but discover new ones. Discover people who are like us and like the grapes we like.

So naturally, we decided to take matters into their own hands. The result is Grapeshare, a new social network for oenophiles that lets you share the wine you love with friends. You can record and rate wines, upload label photos, make connections and get recommendations.

If this venture seems a bit different from our other work, it is – and it isn’t. See, Cloudmanic Labs believes in the power of creativity. Every week, we take a little time off from our regular projects to work on other things—or to just brainstorm about what the world needs. At the very least, we have stimulating conversations. Grapeshare is one of those “other” projects. Like all of the things we do, Grapeshare was sparked by passion, and it continues to be fueled by hard work.

It’s great to be able to share that passion with the rest of the world. To get started with Grapeshare, go to the website and sign up with your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account. You can also follow us on Twitter (@grapeshare) and like us on Facebook. Check out our blog for wine tips and stories, and to keep updated on new features.

Never turn your back on a mountain.

Note: Earlier this summer, my husband and I found ourselves in an unfamiliar dilemma: we both had a chunk of vacation time we needed to use immediately. The situation called for an epic road trip across the wilds of Washington, Canada and Montana. More background in earlier post: Northwest road trip, part I: Ghosts and vampires

While Olympic National Park is home to the majestically named Olympic mountain range, it didn’t prepare us for the peaks of British Columbia. The first attack came just after we left Vancouver. We wound our way north along the famous Sea-to-Sky Highway, admiring views of water and forest, and when we came to a sign for a waterfall at a provincial park (kind of like a state park here), we turned off the road. Our reward was the sight of Shannon Falls’ 1,000-plus-foot foot cascade.

That should have taught us something. But instead, when just down the road we came upon a scenic viewpoint sign with a little mountain graphic on it, we hardly noticed. 

“Stop?” my husband asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

“Nah,” I said from the passenger seat. We hadn’t been driving very long; we’d just stopped at the waterfall; plus, I figured we weren’t going to get a dramatically better view of the distant peaks than what we could see out our car window.

We zipped by the turnoff. A moment later, we went around a corner.

“Oh my God! Wow! Holy—- ! Wow!”

Giant, glacier-covered mountains loomed to the west. They were so big, and so unexpected; it felt like they were nearly on top of us. I grabbed for the camera and got off a few through-the-window shots while my husband tried to keep from driving us off the road.

Honey, there’s a mountain at the window.

And thus we learned our first lesson of Canada: When they tell you there’s something to look at, they really mean it.

From there, the sights only got bigger and more impressive. Any bend could yield a breathtaking vista. We expected that in the national parks, but realized the whole freaking province was stunning. We even started joking each time we neared a provincial park: “Oh, it’s just a provincial park. It’s probably something like Yellowstone, only twice as big with five times as many geysers.”

Just another amazing, giant mountain in Canada.

Of course, once we did reach the national parks and the Rocky Mountains, the alpine attacks only became more frequent. I finally stopped taking photos of mountains. Partly, it was because they were literally everywhere I looked. But also, I knew their grandeur wouldn’t have the same power when I was home, looking at them on a computer screen, instead of staring up at them from an avalanche zone.

Note: Earlier this summer, my husband and I unexpectedly found ourselves needing to use a chunk of vacation time. The situation called for an epic road trip across the wilds of Washington, Canada and Montana. Here, in four parts, are the highlights.

Olympic National Park is only a few hours from our Oregon home, yet until this summer, we’d never been. Did we think that it was too far? That it wouldn’t be worth it? Whatever the reason, we were repentant even before we actually entered the park boundaries. All it took was a glimpse of snow-capped peaks beckoning in the distance and we realized the error of our ways. 

First look at Olympic’s mountains. Yes, this was taken through a windshield.

These days, the damp and beautiful Olympic Peninsula might be better known as the home of the Twilight series than the home of a national park (and if you’re not familiar with Twilight, skip to the next section). Nowhere was that more evident than Forks, the little town Stephenie Meyer implausibly turned into a stop on every teenage girl’s bucket list. Groups posed at the “Forks Welcomes You” sign, the high school, the hospital. As we waited at a stoplight, a girl in a Twilight shirt and a middle-aged woman, presumable her mother, clutching a Twilight map crossed the street in front of us.

First Beach, on the La Push reservation, was similarly populated – except here, werewolves, not vampires, decorated signs (again, this is a Twilight reference, apologies). It was impossible not to mock things like “Jacob Black’s Fireworks Stand,” but my laughter faded when we reached the coast. All those times Bella complains about the backwaters of Forks and La Push, she neglects to mention part of it is in a national park – it’s freaking beautiful.

First Beach. No bare-chested would-be werewolves sighted.

Of course, many of the beachgoers had obviously been drawn there by Meyer. I saw a man pick up his teenage daughter, who had a leg in a cast, and carry her down to the beach. Now that, I thought, is love.

We spent a few days exploring the beaches, forests and mountains, but as alluring as the idea of sexy vampires and sexier werewolves were, we had many miles left to go. A ferry ride across the choppy Puget Sound later, we were across the border in Victoria. 

I was ready to stand on solid ground, but not ready to let go of the feeling of mystery we’d had in Olympic. As the sun started its downward slide, we plastered stickers on our chests and joined a large group of people for a Ghostly Walk. Two guides traded off telling us about macabre incidents in Victoria’s past, from gruesome murders to horrific car crashes, and the spirits that couldn’t seem to let go. Cheesy? Perhaps. But it was also a surprisingly good time. Even if the supernatural had been left out, it still would have been a fascinating tour of the seedier parts of the city’s history.

When working remotely, it’s important to update people. Since you’re not in an office and people cant’ see what you’re doing, you have to let people know that you are in fact, working on the assigned task.

While communication is important, where is the line between communicating what needs to be communicated and over-communicating? And how do you draw that line?

Not Everybody Needs to Know Every Little Thing

When working with a team, you don’t need to update the entire team and every little thing. Before you send an update, think about who is involved and who needs to know. Send it only to those people. If you’re having Task X done on Thursday instead of Wednesday doesn’t affect Bob in anyway shape or form, there’s no reason to email Bob, is there?

Send Regular Status Updates-When Needed

Status updates are good thing, until you start to over-do them. When you start on a project, discuss with your client, your boss, or your team how often they would like updates. This sets clear update expectations and helps to prevent over or under updating.

If you didn’t start off setting expectations, and how you’re updating is working, then by all means, keep doing what you’re doing. However, if you find that it’s not working-maybe one of you is constantly trying to get in contact with the other-it might be a good time to establish those parameters now. Better late than never.

Make Use of the Proper Communication Channels

As we mentioned before using the appropriate form of communication is important. If you have a question about a task assigned to you through a project management system, comment directly on the task in the system. Using the proper communication channels ensures that you get a timely response as efficiently as possible.
Know When to Pick Up the Phone

Ever end up in one of those email threads that could have been handeled through a 10 minute phone call,  but instead turned into 30 emails? Recognize when emails are heading that way and pick up the phone, hop on Skype, or send an IM. Sometimes you just need real-time communication.

How do you update without over-updating?

Not too long ago, before it (thankfully) fell out of fashion, bottled water was all the rage. It was common knowledge that the more you paid, the better it was. A few years ago, you couldn’t go 5 minutes without catching a glimpse of someone with a brightly colored Nalgene bottle. These days, everyone has a BPA-free aluminum water bottle or four, perfect for filling at the tap, which is now trendy. Whatever the container, the thing that made all these accessories valuable was what went in them: Water.

To which I say, “not thirsty.”

I’m something of an anomaly, apparently: I don’t like water.

I mean, I love it when I’ve been exercising and my throat is dry and the water is cold. Times like that, it’s the only thing I want to drink. But keeping a bottle with me at all times? No. Grabbing a glass as I pass through the kitchen? Why, when there are tastier options – like soda or wine – at hand?
I may be weird, but I’m not unique. I stumbled into a conversation with a friend a year or so ago in which he was complaining about not liking water. It was exciting to find someone who shared my antipathy towards perhaps the most precious natural resource. Water’s just so… boring, we agreed.

For whatever reason, I just don’t like the taste (and yes, I see the irony of that statement). Water is healthy, of course, but I figured calorie-free diet soda was OK. So I was dismayed to see this article about a study that suggests diet soda might not be OK after all.

The study found a link between diet soda and a larger waist size. And by “larger,” we’re talking 70 percent greater than people who didn’t drink diet soda. It’s even worse news for people who had two or more diet sodas a day: Their waists were 500 percent bigger.
The research also delved into health consequences of artificial sweeteners, but I’m a vain person and the waist-size data grabbed my attention more – maybe 500 percent more – than the health stuff.  Yowza.

So I’m embarking on a quest to find alternatives to both water and diet soda. Most juice has a high amount of sugar; milk has lots of calories; and alcoholic beverages are clearly not suitable for on-the-job consumption (not my job, anyway). I was intrigued to read about the backstory of Hint, which was created by a woman who was addicted to Diet Coke but didn’t like water (perhaps we were separated at birth). It’s not available in my city yet, but I plan to track it down and test it out. I’m also planning to do some of my own flavored-water creations.

If you’ve got wet-your-whistle suggestions, fire away. I promise to give them a try, at least until someone says they’ll make my waist way bigger than my aqua-chugging friends.

Last week I made a comment on twitter about how I did not want to hire a candidate without previously have a Github account. I got some backlash more or less calling me a fan boy of Github. While I am a fan boy of Github, that was not the reasoning behind my comment.

If you have ever read a programmer’s resume you know it is a big listing of every programing language they have ever looked at. All languages are the same right? Once you know one you know them all right? I call bullshit on this. Yes, once you know some CS fundamentals jumping into a new language is easier. You do not need to go back to college or anything. You can generally figure it out - but you cannot figure it out overnight. Just because you are considered a senior programmer in one language it does not make you a senior programmer in another language. As a small business we can not afford to hire someone that is going to need ramping up time. We need someone that can hit the ground running. We need someone that is going to produce high quality code, quickly.

So when looking at some one’s Github account I can quickly see what language makes them high. I can see what technologies they pursue in their own time. You don’t publish code on Github unless you are at least somewhat proud of it. Going to anyone’s Github account shows you within seconds what language is their primary focus. I am only interested in hiring people that share the same primary focuses we have. When hiring I want the best of the best in the field we are looking for, not someone who can “learn to be the best” or who is the best at something else.

Lastly, the technologies we use have all made Github their official home. The leaders and maintainers building these technologies have made Github their official hangout. If you are not part of this community it is a good indication to me that you are not truly passionate about your programming craft, (or at least the craft we are looking for). If you are truly passionate about skiing you do not live in Florida do you?

Generally, I want to hire people who have a natural fascination with the technologies we use. In programming passion and fascination are much bigger motivators than a paycheck. Not having a Github account in my world says to me you are just looking for a paycheck.

I had a Firefox browser open the other day when a coworker walked into my office. I jumped, simultaneously clicking a different browser tab to hide what I’d been viewing.
“What’s up?” my colleague asked.

“Not much,” I said, my guilty mouse finger searching for a work-related document to maximize on the screen.

She’d caught me in a distracted moment. It happens more often than I’d like to admit – one second I’m looking at something absolutely work-related, and then a few clicks later, I’m somewhere else entirely. My computer screen, unfortunately, faces the door to my office, so the scene described above isn’t exactly rare. I think my coworkers suspect.

My confession: I like to look at webcams. Especially when there’s lots of action: storms, sunrises, wildlife.
This confession either makes me boring as hell or a bona fide freak. But the truth is, if there’s a camera is monitoring scenery or traffic, I want to see it.
I think this, er, hobby, started after a visit to Glacier National Park a few summers ago. Glacier has an impressive array of webcams that can help you monitor the weather for your trip, or help you prolong your visit after you’ve returned home.  The site quickly became a fixture of my daily routine. Leaves turned color; snow fell; water froze. It was beautiful.

I started branching out. Glacier leads the pack, but there are other national parks with cams, and I checked on those. My local coffee shop has a webcam so you can check the line. I used to live in upstate New York, and in the fall I wistfully searched out foliage cams. Any car ride over a mountain pass was preceded by a check of the ODOT site.

Then I found the mother lode, the jackpot, the URL that was to a webcam aficionado like me what Kulminator is to a beer lover: The FAA aviation cameras of Alaska.
These are traffic cams, but not for street traffic. They’re meant to show pilots the conditions at Alaska’s numerous small airports. Because of that, they don’t record freeways or interchanges, but mountain passes and tundras. Each location has multiple cameras pointing different directions. And the best part: You can watch time-lapse sequences. So, for instance, you can see the sun rise over Anchorage, the moon set over Kasigluk and the tides change at Hawk Inlet. I continually hope to see wildlife wander into view, maybe caribou in Tuntutuliak or bear in Valdez.

If I sound like I know where these places are in relation to each other, or any other point north of British Columbia, I don’t. I’ve never been to Alaska. But through these small, low-resolution images, I get to see crimson alpenglow on snowy peaks and ships cross misty, moody bays.

Maybe someday I’ll take a trip to Alaska. I’d like to. But the idea brings on a small worry, a fear that I try not to think about too much. I don’t want to know what this misgiving says about me, or my habit. It’s probably something all webcam viewers wonder about, which, in my case, is a bit disturbing. But here it is: Could reality live up to the wondrous pictures on my computer screen I’ve consumed so intently? Or would it disappoint, turn out to be different from my expectations, and frankly, uncomfortable?

If I ever find out, I’ll be sure to visit at least one aviation webcam location. I’ll be the fuzzy figure running back and forth (to ensure I appear in the frame), with goggles over my face. I might someday be ready to visit Alaska, but out my secret shame to friends and coworkers? No way.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a tab to check.

One of the biggest challenges of working with remote/virtual workers is communication. Email tends to be the go-to way to communicate, but is it the most effective way? Usually not.

One of the best things you can do to improve your business communications is before you send an email, take a few minutes to think about what the best method of communication is.

IM

Instant Messaging is perfect for two different types of communication-quick things where you need a one line response or collaborative tasks that are easier to accomplish in real time.

If all you need from Bob is a quick, one-line response, and you need it NOW,  then IM is your best course of action. It’s simple, it’s fast, and it’s immediate-you don’t have to wait for Bob to check his email, then get back to you.

On the opposite side of the coin, sometimes IM is best for longer, real-time sessions, such as a brainstorming session. In this case, don’t interrupt Bob-set up an appointment, and then come appointment time, hop on your IM client of choice and get brainstorming. Also, most IM clients let you save a transcript, so you can also refer back to the conversation if need be.

Micro-Blogs

Sometimes you want to throw out a new idea or give a general status update to everyone. If you’re company is using a Micro-Blog, type app such as Flowr or Yammer, this is perfect for that. It allows everyone to view the idea or status update and comment on it in their own time, along with seeing what everyone else contributed.

Project Management Apps

Many project management apps offer you the ability to post a status update or comment on a task. If you are assigning a task or have a question about a task that was assigned to you, and are using a project management app-this is the most efficient way to go.

Document Collaboration

When it comes to real-time document collaboration, Google Docs is where it’s at. You can have multiple log-in and work on the document at once, see where each person is working in a document, and even IM each other in a side-panel, perfect for discussing ideas, content, and editing.

Intranet Sites

For frequently repeated information or documenting procedures so team members can refer back to and reference the, you can’t go wrong with an intranet site. If you’re using Google Apps for business, you can easily create an intranet site using Google Sites. Or you could use something like PBWiki or SocialText. The main thing is creating a place to house and document procedures to eliminate repetitive questions.

How do you handle communication with virtual team members? Do you use any of the above?

Andrew Warner of Mixergy.com says that when he interviews founders of startups the one thing they always say is the first release of their product looked like crap. Over time the product has evolved, but in general looking back the first release was not something they are proud of today. Hearing that always makes me ponder. Sure, I believe in release early and release often. Of course building a MVP (minimal viable product) and getting it out to customers is much better then continuously polishing your product hiding behind the “its not perfect” curtain. The idea of releasing something you are not 100% proud of seems odd to me.

Many products are a spin off of a consulting firm, and founding teams often have client work backgrounds. It seems product teams forget their client work process when they build their own product. When working with clients you often practice what I call CYA (cover your ass) software development. You work with your client to really flush out their ideas. This often turns into a scope document, and the clients signs off. Then you often move into wireframes flushing out any micro detail, and once again the client signs off (covering your ass). Lastly, before much development takes place you might have some design rounds with the client getting the client to fully sign off before the development really starts. With client work you are going through these phases to really ensure you are delivering just what the client wants and make sure everyone is on the same page. What also happens during this process is you flush out the entire idea from high level all the way down to the micro details. You never say “oh we will figure that part out later”. With this process you deliver just what the clients wants on budget and on time. Never would you deliver something to your client that you are not proud of.

When building your own product so many development teams just dive right in, pick a point at random and start programing. Since it is their own product many developers tend to think the CYA process is not needed, and maybe sometimes a little boring. I say this is a mistake. Not working through the different user experience issues, the data model, the design, and so on while just hitting the ground coding is a great way to have headaches later on. The CYA process front loads resolving headaches and problems that may arise in the future. Why not do that with your own product?

I am proud that any product we have ever released at Cloudmanic Labs has been well thought out. We go through the same process we would go through with clients. Not one line of code is written until we fully flush out our ideas, manage the scope, and fully design the product. The first release of our products have often been far from crap. They are polished. Also, our development time is not any longer then other hit-the-ground coding teams. Our discipline to maintain the CYA process has made it so we have never released a product we were not proud of, no matter how far from our desired final form it is.

We of course don’t think we are going to be perfect on our first release in terms of features, customer needs, and bugs. There is always going to be things we messed up, and that is why user feedback is very important. We listen to it all and evolve our products with our customers in mind. We never skip out on any of the important steps of a product development cycle just because it is convenient to ignore them or because it is boring. We never say “oh we will figure that out later”.

CYA software development has an important role in non-client work as well.