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I think you are setting yourself up for failure: > Depending on how the CEO will introduce me to the team I'd resolve that NOW, before you fly out. If the cu

I think you are setting yourself up for failure: > Depending on how the CEO will introduce me to the team I'd resolve that NOW, before you fly out. If the culture is hierarchical, and you are supposed to be the "lead", but you aren't introduced as such, you are dead in the water IMO. > They are struggling with a project and the deadline is close...I need to sell good practices to the team so it becomes the natural next step to implement them. This is an awful combination. You are going to try to implement best practices, on a team that has little/none, who may not even believe in them as beneficial, while they are under stress to hit a deadline? > I'm flying in a few days to a developing country I'm sure there is more context to this situation than what can get in a summary. But honestly, if you summarized it well, I'd cancel the ticket and find something else to do. The way you have described it, I think you are in a no-win situation.

le-mark 8y ago
Absolutely this. OP has a Messiah complex it seems. OP don't be their Martyr too! I think you are setting yourself up for failure: Is the goal to ship the project on time, or reform the team to OPs ideal of a high performing team, and maybe deliver something someday? I wager the CEO wants the project delivered pronto. Otherwise, cut scope relentlessly. If delivery is the goal, deliver something, then iterate.
kpil 8y ago
I agree, it's tough. Not much to do really, but if I would do this, I'd stay away from changing the methodology and the code, and make it clear that it will be tough to make this fly. Focus on: Reduce scope. Make sure only the important features are built. Set up periodic meetings with all stakeholders to prioritize (down) features and subfeatures. Get a grip on what's built and what's left. Make a realistic prognosis and make sure to anchor the new realistic target date with the stakeholders. Make sure bugs and tasks are tracked. Set up manual testing routines with some experienced testers. A big team if the automatic tests are of low quality. Iterate and prioritize this list constantly.
- winrid 8y ago
  This! Don't introduce new "best practices" in crunch time when you still don't have context yet. Give it 6-12 months and start by asking what the Dev team itself wants to change, not you.
scaryclam 8y ago
This. Unless there's a competant project manager already in place and they are asking for a good technical lead to be put in place, it's highly likely a last ditch attempt to pull something magical off. If there's no PM then that's what the company needs, not a technical lead. As others have said, the teams under stress and the delivery date is coming up, so the only thing to really change is the scope and project tracking.
- ryandrake 8y ago
  Yea, that was my first thought: where on earth is the project manager in all of this?? You’re not going to get back on schedule by preaching the good word of “best practices” this late in the game. That ship has already sailed.

le-mark 8y ago

Absolutely this. OP has a Messiah complex it seems. OP don't be their Martyr too! I think you are setting yourself up for failure: Is the goal to ship the project on time, or reform the team to OPs ideal of a high performing team, and maybe deliver something someday? I wager the CEO wants the project delivered pronto. Otherwise, cut scope relentlessly. If delivery is the goal, deliver something, then iterate.

kpil 8y ago

I agree, it's tough. Not much to do really, but if I would do this, I'd stay away from changing the methodology and the code, and make it clear that it will be tough to make this fly. Focus on: Reduce scope. Make sure only the important features are built. Set up periodic meetings with all stakeholders to prioritize (down) features and subfeatures. Get a grip on what's built and what's left. Make a realistic prognosis and make sure to anchor the new realistic target date with the stakeholders. Make sure bugs and tasks are tracked. Set up manual testing routines with some experienced testers. A big team if the automatic tests are of low quality. Iterate and prioritize this list constantly.

winrid 8y ago
This! Don't introduce new "best practices" in crunch time when you still don't have context yet. Give it 6-12 months and start by asking what the Dev team itself wants to change, not you.

scaryclam 8y ago

This. Unless there's a competant project manager already in place and they are asking for a good technical lead to be put in place, it's highly likely a last ditch attempt to pull something magical off. If there's no PM then that's what the company needs, not a technical lead. As others have said, the teams under stress and the delivery date is coming up, so the only thing to really change is the scope and project tracking.

ryandrake 8y ago
Yea, that was my first thought: where on earth is the project manager in all of this?? You’re not going to get back on schedule by preaching the good word of “best practices” this late in the game. That ship has already sailed.