I have learned a few lessons this week. I would like to highlight one, mainly because it is a simple yet powerful idea people seem to neglect!
Examining assumptions
I was reminded of this by Prof Wong Poh Kam, director NEC and angel investor. Strangely, I was feeling rather free that one day and I tagged along with Lawrence to a networking cum sharing session. It turns out Prof Wong happens to be the director of BANSEA.
The idea over here is rather simple. After coming up with a business plan, examine closely, at my own assumptions. For example, is it possible that we get 50,000 users a month? Is it possible for some one to clock 100 hrs / week of programming time etc? This simple reflection would reveal the flaws and also forces us to clear of our plan of action. Simplest solutions are the best!
Also, it is not to say that we shouldn't make assumption. They just have to reflect reality. Let's look at some (simplifying) assumptions that I have for final project:
- Flash can be learned and mastered in a month.
- The game would be interesting enough for people to want to try
- The team's effort is synergistic and that everyone is enthusiastic about that we do.
- We would be principled in our execution.
- Everyone in the team can provide the team with as much resources as we need to make project fly at the minimum.
The next questions (What is there to learn about flash? What do I mean by mastery? What is the usual timeline?...) is of course asked to verify this assumptions, which leads to the next rounds of questions and assumptions. And as computer scientist likes it, this will go on recursively until we are clear on what we want and until we start asking questions that are either too stupid or too general or too specific like "What is the meaning of Life? "
The purpose of this exercise is of course to be clear on what we want. Clarity is the the most important outcome of this theoretical, goggle-aided, ideas bouncing exercise. (= After which we should have a fair idea on what we want and how to achieve it, although the solutions may not be optimise. To optimise is again, other exercise altogether.
On another note, I was pretty excited by the CS3216 pitching session, which makes me feel like a VC, although I know that this is a mere ego-trip. These are people with real world problems to solve or ideas to implement. Thanks for giving us the flavor at least, prof!
Happy Chinese New Year!
2 comments:
Perhaps tell us more about your analysis of your five (?) assumptions?
What does it mean to examine assumptions?
Hi Prof,
To examine assumption, is first make explicit the assumptions and to check against real world data and the opinion of reliable sources whether they are realistic. Sometimes it involves doing a google search, sometimes is about focus group survey, apply our knowledge of probability to the check against the assumption or just bounce ideas of people and see if they call us crazy!
Analysis
1. I have learned flashed before and I have accesses to tutorials on great learning sites. The programmers on the team are excellent (thanks prof) hence a month is actually and over-estimate. If one person commits 5 hours a week to learn, it can essentially be learned. Mastering takes more effort and time (15hrs/week + consistent work on it) naturally.
2. The game is complicated. Yes granted. but we can always simplify it. It's a pain to go through many rounds of testing and balancing, but that can be done if need be. This one will have to be verified, when we pitch to our friends or run trials. "fun" is hard to quantify. Since we are having fun developing it, it has potential. I guess the next step is to look at what would give the element of fun and deliver on a few features that can create the promise. Is it tournament? Flavor text? PvP? - we have to find out.
3. Enthusiasm fluctuates, as things happens. As team player I have to provide the project with both the reality check and the energy to go on in dark times. Been there, done that once or twice and its not easy. For me, I believe the idea is worth a shot, and so does my team members. So I guess to keep up the enthusiasm, it involves always putting our best foot forward and feed off each other's energy. Synergy is the most leveraged means to get most value and most work done. It is the sum compatibility, leadership and individual character. What i see so far is that the team is great technically and character wise. So to really increase the leverage, we must continuously reflect and model so that we can move beyond basic teamwork to perhaps professionalism, agile modelling and TRUST.
4. To be principled is again not easy. Feel like quoting you over here. "It turns out that Life is not easy." And that's true, when we want to produce something that involves accurate representation and unbaisedness, yet with flavor. On the surface the values do conflict and people do have different set of principles -> Hence this is really would honest work with the team and continuously pointing out our principles and direction.
5. The question on resources. I start by claiming that not having resources is good because it forces us to innovate and keep things tighter and more powerful simply because we do not have the luxury of doing otherwise. Over that, I believe that everyone has something to bring to the table and that we would be able to define for ourselves a project which is stretchy yet not impossible. And when there is buy-in, people (at least for this class) would work their magic. I chose the producer role for a reason. Xp
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