You’re reading The Steady Beat, a weekly-ish round-up of hand-picked articles and resources for people who make software products: designers, engineers, product managers, and organizational leaders.
By the Numbers - Phonetically Speaking
1901 — The year Richard H. Geiger, a US Navy telegraph operator, introduced the concept of using words instead of letters for communication, paving the way for the phonetic alphabet.
7 — The number of words in the British Army’s initial phonetic alphabet during WWI, which included terms like Ack, Beer, and Pip.
1927 — The year the International Telegraph Union standardized the phonetic alphabet with globally recognized city names, facilitating international communication.
1959 — The year two monkeys named Able and Miss Baker became the first primates to survive space travel, their names inspired by the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet.
1956 — The year NATO officially established the phonetic alphabet we use today, featuring terms like Alpha, Bravo, and Zulu for universal communication clarity.
— Charlie Mike, 5m, #history, #communication
The 80/80 Rule
Software projects often hit a “feature complete” milestone, giving teams a false sense of nearing the finish line, only to discover that the final 20% of the project can drag on as long as the first 80%. This paradox, humorously likened to Zeno’s motion paradox, is fueled by our inherent optimism, undervaluing non-coding tasks, and lopsided experience with early-stage project work. Jacobo Tarrío urges a shift in perspective to appreciate the time-consuming nature of documentation, testing, and other crucial post-coding tasks, suggesting practice in these areas to better manage future timelines.
— Coding Sheet, 4m, #software-engineering, #project-management, #productivity
Sprint “Completion”
In the mythical realm of software development, sprint completion has become the elusive unicorn teams aspire to tame but rarely do. Avi Siegel’s article pulls back the curtain on the “sprint theater” where teams overestimate their abilities, only to scramble and compromise when reality strikes. Instead of clinging to the vanity metric of perfect sprint completion, Siegel advocates for a more pragmatic approach: realistic planning, acknowledging life’s unpredictability, and valuing consistent value delivery over idealistic checkbox ticking.
— Product Coalition, 7m, #agile, #sprint-planning, #productivity
Carousel Conundrum
If you’re still hitching a ride on the carousel for showcasing product images, you might want to get off. The author argues that while carousels are the ubiquitous darling of e-commerce sites, they’re not exactly the belle of the ball when it comes to user engagement. Most users don’t bother with anything beyond the first few images, leaving the rest of your product’s glory under wraps.
— UX Movement Newsletter, 5m, #ux, #design, #ecommerce
Work Smart, Not Hard
In a world where the hustle is glorified, one Googler’s rapid rise to Staff Engineer (IC6) before hitting 30 reveals a refreshing secret: it’s not about clocking endless hours, but zeroing in on high-impact projects. This engineer managed to climb the ranks by working less than 40 hours a week, thanks to two key strategies. First, a laser focus on understanding which projects drive the most impact, enabling him to decline tasks that didn’t align with organizational goals. Second, mastering the soft skill of saying “no” tactfully, ensuring he didn’t alienate colleagues while protecting his time.
— The Developing Dev, 6m, #career-development, #time-management, #soft-skills
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