My Expertise

Project Management

I’ve managed teams as small as one and as large as 25. I’ve enjoyed working with every one of them, and I think they’ve enjoyed working for me too. That’s because I don’t micro-manage. I treat people well and I always pay on time. I am clear and I set high standards but I’ve found that driven, quality people don’t need someone looking over their shoulders. They need work that suits them and that allows them to hone their skills. I often ask new hires to take the Wealth Dynamics personality test so that I can understand them, their skills, and their needs better. Some people, for example, should never do customer service. Others have exactly the patience and calmness that’s often needed in that role. Instead of trying to train someone to do something they are not good at, I prefer to give them work they love, enjoy—and are naturally brilliant at.

Running Remote Teams

I’ve been working with remote teams since 2000. I’ve traveled the world and managed my teams for nearly 6 years, staying in different countries and cities for a few months at a time. My teams have been based in Asia, in Europe, and in South America. There are skills and practices that enable remote teams to work at their best. I’ve acquired them, and taught them.

UX Design

I’ve designed and produced more than 20 web applications from dating sites and eLearning to photography scheduling, advertising apps and social networks. They’ve won awards and, more importantly, they’ve won users and customer loyalty.

I love UX design. I pay close attention to flow, to usability, and to user experience. I try to bridge developers and end users, making sure that the software is easy for anyone to use. I think the best way to employ the skill of a developer is to give them very detailed specs and leave very little to interpretation. They can focus on writing beautiful and easily sustainable code, and the end user gets an application they can use—instinctively.

Systems/Operations

Systems and automation are my thing. When I ran JomSocial, a complex social networking application for Joomla CMS, I implemented automation testing that let us run thousands of tests in just a few hours with one click. We were the first to use automation in this way in the Joomla environment, and it made a huge difference. Instead of releasing buggy software for customers to test, we tested every version, minor or major, thoroughly before release. Customers loved it and we saved ourselves hours of manual testing and replies to support requests. Building systems that optimize business is so satisfying!

Usability Testing

Usability Testing has been proven to double ROI but few companies do it. Even large firms like PayPal have had huge usability issues. (PayPal took months to find and fix a bug that put the period in the wrong place when sending money to another country.) I teach people how to perform usability tests, and occasionally perform them myself for my own sites or for other businesses. It’s an underrated but vital aspect of software development.

Skills

Entrepreneurs sometimes wear lots of hats. We don’t just dream up ideas and manage teams. We need to promote the company, choose the design, build the brand, and do a whole lot more. Often, when the job is small and time is short, it’s easiest to do it yourself.  So I’ve learned a few basic skills. I can say that I know a lot about them but I can’t say that they are my expertise. Others know them better. So I know when a logo is good, but I don’t design them myself. I know and understand marketing but I’ll happily leave it to people who actually enjoy doing it. I find branding hard work, but I can do it if I put my mind to it. Web design is easier with tools like WordPress and Divi Builder, so I can create a good website, but I know others can do it better.

• SEO
• Marketing
• Branding
• Web Design