The StickyMinds technical editor for the last four years, Matt Heusser, is moving on from his post. Here, he reflects on what he learned working for StickyMinds and the experiences he had, and he introduces you to the new person who will take over for the site.
About four and a half years ago, I wrote an article for StickyMinds about my experience working from home in the Midwest for a Silicon Valley venture capital–funded startup. Not only did I learn a ton while helping build a product I could be proud of, I got to have a blast while doing it.
Eight months later I would take over the helm at StickyMinds as technical editor, finding authors, vetting submissions, and scheduling articles for publication—a post I held until today.
As I am sure you have guessed by now, all good things come to an end. Sadly, there just is not enough time in the day to do everything I would like to do, so I am going to take a personal risk, leave the warm safety of StickyMinds, get a little free time back, and try a few new projects.
Here, I’d like to focus on the personal lessons I learned during my time with StickyMinds.
Compelling stories win
Anyone can write “As the pace of change increases, companies are finding more competition and the need to produce higher quality software earlier …” Honestly, anyone can: I probably got three dozen submissions this year that started out with some variation of that theme, trying to coerce the reader into adopting some new tool or technique. The problem with that approach is that there is no hero, no story, no action. Don’t tell me how awesome your technology, team, or project is; tell me why it is awesome, the problem people can solve with the new idea, and how it works out.
The Content Monster must be fed
As an editor, I lived on a treadmill that never stopped. Every Monday we needed a new, compelling article. Every event I went to was an opportunity to find new writers. We even started a Google group for StickyMinds alumni so I could email them when in need.
Sometimes you want a buffer
In lean theory, we say inventory is a sort of waste—that excess work in progress is a problem. Yet I wanted to build up a list of ready-to-publish articles so I could go on a two-week vacation without frantic phone calls or scrambling. For that matter, sometimes the articles flowed in quickly, so we allowed the buffer to grow because we knew that at other times, it would be four or five weeks between articles coming in. With a two-month buffer, I never had to worry.
Create a small barrier
Many people read StickyMinds and want to write for it. Some are practically ready to sign an author agreement ten minutes after I meet them! But a lot of those people then disappear, never to be heard from again. After being burned a couple of times, I create a small hoop for people to jump through. Usually, I give them my business card and ask them to contact me to move things forward. The people who keep the card and remember to email me are much more likely to actually do the work on time.
Passion matters
I’ve talked to a lot of smart people, including ones with impressive titles. Sometimes, when I mentioned that I recruit writers, their eyes lit up. Again, the passionate folks with the compelling stories will be the ones to actually write an article.
Cem Kaner, the famed software engineering professor and coauthor of Testing Computer Software, once described his career as a “dance around quality.” Kaner has done a lot of interesting things, including running a documentation group for a software product, working on the law of software quality (he has a law degree), and customer service. He once even took a job at a retail computer outlet, mostly to talk to real end-users!
Beyond the fun of the role and learning things, working at StickyMinds also allowed me to connect to a large number of thinkers and leaders in the world of software. I got to know how they think, what they are thinking about, and what they are challenged by. That was a real pleasure.
StickyMinds will continue to be a trusted resource for software testing information and proven practices, and I’m happy to say that my friend, consulting software tester Justin Rohrman, is taking over the role as technical editor. If you’re interested in writing for StickyMinds, he’ll be glad to work with you.
I intend to continue to write a bit for StickyMinds and TechWell Insights, so I will be around. It’s a small world. Don’t be a stranger.
Lets Hang!