This document summarizes Tom Walsham's lessons learned from scaling an agency from 15 to 60 employees. Some key points: 1) As the agency grew, it faced challenges around predictability, quality, productivity and other areas that process was meant to address. 2) Early on, the agency did not have formal processes around areas like estimation, quality assurance, toolchain standardization. This led to problems. 3) As the agency developed processes, it focused on aspects like implementing QA systems, formalizing discovery documents, standardizing tools, and improving resourcing and resource planning. 4) Walsham emphasizes that process needs to evolve as the business grows and that measuring metrics is key to continuous

1. Tom Walsham / @tomwalsham - - Oct 3rd, 2015
Lessons learned from customizing process
through agency growth from 15-60 employees
Scaling process

2. Tom Walsham
Director of Product
The Working Group
@tomwalsham
25 Years writing Code
15 Years working in Online / Tech
10 Starts annually with TWG clients
WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO THIS GUY? ARE THE AFTER-SESSION BEERS STARTING SOON?

3. 01
A Framework for Process

4. A MOTLEY CREW
@tomwalsham
Product Mgr (1)
Developer (10)
Designer (0)
Other (4)
TWG - 2012 : 15 Employees

5. Everything Was Awesome
(or so it seemed)
THIS IS AN ACTUAL PHOTO OF THE OLD TWG OFFICE
@tomwalsham

6. THE DEVELOPERS ARE NOT TINY HUMANS
@tomwalsham
TWG - 2015 : 65678 Employees
Product Mgr (6)
Developer (40)
Designer (6)
Other (16)

7. REALITY BITES
@tomwalsham
“Nice Problems To Have”
(with hindsight)

8. WHY ARE WE ALL HERE? WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
Predictability
The purpose of process
Quality Productivity
LongevityProfitabilityVersatility
Client happiness, studio cashflow,
margin, all stem from this
If you measure it, you will improve it. A process
of KPIs for Quality will produce better output
A strong development and production process
enables faster execution.
Understanding clients in a long-term
account view alters approach
Combining predictability and planning,
project scope can be managed to improve profit
Providing the cornerstone for growth, and
adapting to changing market conditions
01 02 03
04 05 06

9. Estimation
As close to reality as
possible given little info
Evolve QA
Implementation of QA
systems & team Sprint zero
Formalized discovery
process & documents
Resourcing
A better dovetailing to
improve margin
Results Driven
Creation of quality
assurance as a discipline
Toolchain
Standardizing tools to
reduce friction
Unicorn riding
Harnessing unicorns
to create rainbowsProcess Milestones
PREDICTABILITY
QUALITY
VERSATILITY
PROFITABILITY
LONGEVITY
PRODUCTIVITY
AWESOMESAUCE
LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER

10. 02
Learning to Walk

11. [Do] Read Awesome
Books
[Don’t] Get your
process from a book
ACQUIRE THE PROCESS EQUIVALENT OF ‘STREET SMARTS’
@tomwalsham

12. I will tell you that our
system is broken
“
HE ONLY SOUNDS SMART OUT OF CONTEXT
- Donald Trump
@tomwalsham

13. WE’LL ASK FOR ESTIMATES, THEN TREAT THEM AS DEADLINES!
@tomwalsham
Predictability : Estimation
If developers think in terms of hours,
let them estimate in hoursAvoid Abstractions
Always be improving the process.
Estimation is a fine art
You can always discount it later, but
don’t lie to yourself internally
Do Retrospectives
Add It All Up

14. WE WERE A DEVELOPMENT SHOP WITH NO QA FOR 10 YEARS. HORRIFYING
@tomwalsham
Quality : Evolve QA
Dedicate 2 days of
Sprint to end-end
testing
Developer Peer Review
of stories
Effective QA is expensive.
Inadequate QA is even more expensive
Small QA team
‘Parachute’ in pre-
release
Named QA resource
in client-facing
budgets
Full lifecycle QA
team member from
Planning -> Release

15. AVOID THE SHINY THINGS
@tomwalsham
Productivity : Toolchain
Standardize Your
Toolchain

16. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH PATIENT ZERO
@tomwalsham
Versatility : Sprint Zero
Just.
Enough.
Design.

17. YOU DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE YOUR GLASSES. BLURRED TO PROTECT TOP SECRET THINGS
@tomwalsham
Profitability : Resourcing
2013-2015 2015-????
Future Resource Planning
Multiple Projects Per Person
Integrated Vacation Tracking
Day-Level Tracking
Pivot View per Project
Weekly Resourcing
Request / Approval ProcessNo Project-level Rollups
Failed around 25 resources
Will need refactor beyond 100Only 75% accurate

18. Before long, people get very confused
that the process is the content
“
UBIQUITOUS INSPIRATIONAL STEVE JOBS QUOTE
- Steve Jobs
@tomwalsham

19. I HOPE THE LITTLE ANIMATED GIF WILL PLAY IN KEYNOTE
@tomwalsham
Longevity : Results Driven Projects
Under Construction

20. Merely measuring
something has an uncanny
tendency to improve it
“
TECHNICALLY THIS QUOTE IS A RIPOFF FROM LORD KELVIN’S 150 YEARS PRIOR
- Paul Graham
@tomwalsham

21. 03
Do It Yourself

22. WHAT A CHEAP TRICK. REUSING THE SAME SLIDE. LAZY.
Predictability
The purpose of process
Quality Productivity
Longevity Profitability Versatility
Client happiness, studio cashflow,
margin, all stem from this
If you measure it, you will improve it. A process
of KPIs for Quality will produce better output
A strong development and production process
enables faster execution.
Understanding clients in a long-term
account view alters approach
Combining predictability and planning,
project scope can be managed to improve profit
Providing the cornerstone for growth, and
adapting to changing market conditions
01 02 03
04 05 06

23. Business Dev
Scheduling
Estimation
Resourcing
Hiring
Production
Design Process
Toolchain
Communication
THE LEGOS OF AN STUDIO
@tomwalsham
Documentation
Quality Assurance
Support
Account Mgmt
Career Growth
Marketing
Contracts
Human Resources
Handoff

24. 01
02
03
Target small wins.
Review.
Repeat.
OH SHIT! I HAVEN’T BEEN LISTENING. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
@tomwalsham
Sketch feasible Process
Identify Target Goal
Select Discipline

25. Thanks!
@tomwalsham / @twg / FITC Spotlight Process 2015