October 20, 2020
Having been in the SuiteScript space since 2012, I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of SuiteScript, work with dozens of developers, advise several firms, and also observe.
In that time, I’ve repeatedly seen that the expectations are just too low. The standards for quality software engineering: too low. The standards for developer quality of life: too low. The standards for client relationships: too low. They’re all too damn low.
If you’re scrambling for the next billable hour; if you say YES! to every project or request; if you don’t use source control or have code reviews; if you’re constantly chasing the final payment for a project; if you can’t keep developers on your team for more than a few months; if your clients aren’t recommending you to new ones, then your standards are too low.
It’s not your clients’ fault for “not understanding your skills.” It’s not NetSuite’s fault for being “crazy” or “finnicky” or “wrong.” It’s not your developers’ fault they hate being “133% utilized” every single week. Software development is not something you simply bolt on to a functional consulting practice. “Write code” is not an acceptable line item on a proposal. “My code is perfect; NetSuite is wrong” is not a valid excuse for failure. Software development is a profession and will demand that you treat it as such whether you’re on a team, running a team, or sitting in the board room overseeing several teams. Collectively, the expectations we’ve set for acceptable practices, processes, and code is simply far too low.
I’m not writing simply to complain about a lame status quo – although we do have exactly that. Instead, I carry a message of hope – if not a sharp kick in the ass. All of these, and the myriad other issues plaguing our niche, are fixable. They’re not all easy fixes, nor are they quick ones. Many will require significant investment, critical thinking, and crucial decisions to be made – all will require dedication and hard work – but you don’t have to do that work alone or make those decisions in a vacuum.
You can build a high-performing SuiteScript team once you start raising the bar, and I’d love to help you and your team do that.
January 22, 2021
Before there were rigorous, formal education programs, we learned a craft directly from a skilled craftsperson, following in their footsteps, shadowing their work, gradually absorbing their hard-won skills and knowledge. This model of apprentices ...
January 21, 2021
Having just presented an argument for investing in project work for your new hires instead of investing in training, I’m now naturally going to argue for investing in training for your new hires. As ...
January 20, 2021
A long, long time ago, I worked for a small, private golf course. Not in the golf shop, mind you, with its racks of pressed polo shirts and walls of neatly arranged golf clubs ...
January 19, 2021
Previously I asked a question of you all: What’s the largest challenge you face in running (or planning to run) a SuiteScript development team? In response, a thoughtful reader wrote in with an excellent ...
January 18, 2021
Do you just love spending all day in meetings? Do you fill your days relishing the repetitive small talk and marveling at the mismanagement of the Mute button? Alliteration aside, almost no one enjoys ...
January 16, 2021
I find myself deeply, frequently distracted today, though not by anything or anyone in my immediate vicinity. I can’t focus, can’t be productive, can’t quite settle down. There’s so much uncertainty and heartbreak in ...