Tag: Business (Page 1 of 2)

Lessons on Launching (Three of Them, for Now)

February 7, 2019 / Tom

One of the biggest things I’ve learned since trying out this whole podcasting thing (the second episode should be out next week, for those waiting with bated breath 🙃) is that achieving whatever arbitrary level of perfection before releasing something is hard.

Practical WordPress Development Podcast

You’d like I’d know this after so long in working in this field, right?

But there are several lessons on launching that I am trying to keep in mind especially as I’m working to get a few other projects off the ground all the while working in my day job.

Keeping Domains, Hosting, and Email Separate

December 4, 2018 / Tom

Though this is something I think anyone with a domain, self-hosted site, and email should use, it’s also something I think is important for us – as those who provide services to others – should use.

Specifically, I’m talking about keeping domains, hosting, and email separate so if you opt to change, say, your hosting then you can keep all of the parts working with as little downtime as possible.

In this post, I’m going to cover how to do it, the services I recommend (and no, none of these are affiliate links), and then how each piece works independently of one another to provide the most seamless experience possible.

Learn The New Thing! (Wait, Not So Fast)

April 24, 2018 / Tom

One of the things that I dig about the software development industry (others, too, but this is where we are, right?) is that it requires some degree of constant learning.

For some, that can induce a level of fatigue. And I get it because I’ve felt it. I don’t know if it’s an age thing (I’m not old, yet, but there’s a lot to be said from going from just yourself into an apartment into a house and a family, but I digress). I think that comes with a bit of thrashing is continually trying to keep up with every new thing that comes out.

The thing is that the further I get into my career, the less I’m interested in the learning The New Thing the moment it’s released.

Remember when this was The New Thing?

And I say this knowing full well it’d be easy to dismiss what I have to say since I’ve written on going deep rather than wide with technology.

But this is a bit different.

Should We Set Weekend Autoresponders?

April 17, 2018 / Tom

Remember when vacation responders or auto-responders were first introduced to email? It was awesome.

Or so it seemed.

I mean it gave us an automated way to tell other people that we were out of the office or would be unavailable for a set period so we could set an expectation as to when we’d be available to follow-up.

It was like next-level answering machines or something.

Weekend Autoresponders: Answering Machine

But as email has become so ingrained in what we do on a day-to-day basis, we have some companies who have people who are solely dedicated to answering email. On top of that, there are some who are told to “expect an email by the weekend” for something.

That’s a bit backwards though, isn’t it?

Team Communication (It Matters More So Than Your Tools)

March 14, 2017 / Tom / 0 Comments

Since bringing on a couple of contractors, one question that others ask is:

oWhat is it like to go from working on projects by yourself to working on projects with a team?

Or, more simply, what’s it like having contractors? The short answer is that I dig it because it affords some advantages:

we have to have a sharp division of work,
the business can take on more projects,
we’re able to collaborate on things (which is something I miss about flying solo),
and more.

The other side of this, though, is that I feel like I have to learn what it’s like to start a business all over again.

Team communication can feel like starting all over.

Like starting with a blank slate.

This, by no means, is a bad thing. It’s the opposite. But when you go from working on projects on your own and developing your setup, then there’s a period of adjustment that happens.

I’m still experiencing this and working through it. It requires both conversations with your team and a bit of introspection to determine if what you’re doing is still right for the way you work or if you should adjust it.