Case Study Discussion

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Case Study Discussion

• CS577B 2004
• April 05, 2004

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Outline

• Midterm
• Assignment 20 minutes
• 10 Points
• Case Study Discussion

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Midterm

• CS577b On-campus Midterm Grade distribution
• Average 65.7
• Median 66.5
• Highest 84
• Lowest 44.5

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Assignment Discuss The Topic

• Topic Process in a startup technology company.
• For the motion Process is required in a start up
  technology company to ensure "it gets to market.
• Against the motion Process only confines /
  restricts the "time to market" necessity of a
  start up technology company.

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Assignment Discuss The Topic

• For the motion
• Teams 8, 9, 19, 22, 23
• Against the motion
• Teams 24, 35, 36, 37

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Why should Microsoft care?

• Microsoft shipped the first version of Word for
  Windows (albeit after continuously missing
  deadlines) on 11/89 received a grand reception
  from the community and sales rocketed much higher
  than anticipated so, why should they care (to
  improve)?

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Why should Microsoft care?

• From 1980 to 1989
• Annual sales increased from less than 1 million
  to over 800 million dollars.
• Growth slowed somewhat in subsequent years, from
  a 30 yearly growth rate in 1987, to a 15 rate
  in 1989.
• Competition intensified, as the number of
  products on the market increased.

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Why should Microsoft care?
From Wall Street Journal, 03/08/1989
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Why should Microsoft care?

• Make more money
• Money earned today is far better than same money
  earned after 5 years
• Company Reputation
• Just lucky this time risk of being 2nd next time
• Word, Windows complimentary
• Loss of Talent

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The Development

• Lets talk about the development
• Culture
• Management
• Process

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The Development

• Different interpretation of the development
  process
• Blumcnthal program management owns the product
  they dont know much about the realities of
  development
• Chris Mason While MS has become somewhat more
  formalized, the basic truth is that developers
  still have the ultimate control of the process.
• Developer centric Design on the fly
• Star developers small teams
• No single project manager

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The Development

• High pressure
• No structure (lack of process)
• No intermediate milestones
• Estimation (no estimation)
• CEO as Independent Variable ?
• Poor documentation for specs, testing

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The Development
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Deadline Slips

• The project missed a number of deadlines,
  spanning a year project to a 5 year project.
• Why did they miss deadlines so often?

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The Vicious Circle
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Characteristics of Market

• 1980s
• Customers hobbyists/early adapters
• Product simple product
• Interface text based
• Portability not an issue
• Product size small
• Growth Place small not enough for people to
  change their style of business

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Characteristics of Market

• 1980s
• Market size small but highly growing
• Development team very small
• Usage not mission critical
• Install base / Reusability zero

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Characteristics of Market

• Current
• Customers ubiquitous
• Product more complex
• Interface GUI
• Portability big issue
• Product size bigger, growing
• Growth Place bigger, umpteen alternatives

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Characteristics of Market

• Current
• Market size large
• Development team large
• Usage mission critical
• Install base / Reusability Yes, compatibility
  issues

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Characteristics of Market

• Current
• 80/20 Phenomenon
• Im happy with just 20 of the features but I
  shouldnt see the blue screen of death.
• Your 20 is not same as my 20, hence the myth of
  more the features, better the customer
  satisfaction
• Surprising fact The overlap between the desired
  functionalities between users is much more than
  we believe.
• Ever wondered why you have to click start to
  shut-down/stop your computer?

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Characteristics of Market

• 1980s vs. Current Skillset
• What were the skills of managers and developers
  then?
• What about current?

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Why this case study?

• Same issues like other organizations
• Same old project planning control issues
• Visits how much functionality tradeoffs
• Visits evolution of software market
• Stimulates futuristic thinking
• skill specialization, matching
• Others Ad-hoc vs. planning software reuse
• A classic case to spawn organizational change

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Questions?

• ?