As 2008 comes to a close it has been a busy last couple of weeks for me. Yesterday I was at IBM learning more about Eclipse (and the various plug-ins, etc.) and about the open source version of Websphere called Project Zero. So, today I've been working my way through the various tutorials and trying to learn more about the web 2.0 development environment. I have also been looking at Joomla and Drupal. All of these are various content management systems that help developers create rich internet websites. I'm guessing that blogger itself was developed using a content management system. Unfortunately, this is changing the way that web developers learn....as some of the technical details get lost in the mix. But, it does allow your average web developer to really focus on developing a better website, rather than an average site.
So, learning about Web 2.0 is based upon the other project I've got going on...the iPhone application. My team, The Test Monkeys, has been working on our business plan. Some of our sticking points with the business plan revolve around the profit model. Since this is an iPhone application that we'd prefer to deliver for free we need to come up with an advertising revenue model. I'll be meeting with an Senior Manager at StarCom Worldwide, a friend, that is going to help me brainstorm on a revenue model. Next is trying to get some capital that will allow our team to all have some iPhone 3Gs and some form of Mac computer to develop with. Right now I'm the only iPhone user and another team member is the only one with a MacBook. Makes things difficult.
Oh, and I've been working on my book, Thoughts Through the Information Systems Life Cycle: A Management Level Approach for Success. Right now I have a "working" set of chapter titles and the foundation for a couple of the chapters:
Introduction - How did this Book come into Existence?
Ch. 1 - Are We Doomed From the Beginning?
Ch. 2 - Getting the Key Stakeholders Onboard! The Project Plan
Ch. 3 - Requirements Management and Documentation - Not your Father's Requirements Gathering Techniques
Ch. 4 - Scope Your Project - Not Your Life
Ch. 5 - Resource Management - People, Equipment, and Colocation (Oh My!)
Ch. 6 - And Then There was Software Development
Ch. 7 - Budget Management...Did We Do Our Due Diligence?
Ch. 8 - Scope Revision - Be Communicative At ALL Levels of the Project
Ch. 9 - Are We There Yet? QA & SQA
Ch. 10 - Did you Test the Test? UAT Success
Ch. 11 - And the Project went on...and on...and on...
Ch. 12 - We're Done. Now What?
Tell me what you think of the titles....and possibly any suggestions for key topics that should also be discussed. The book will likely take me a good year to write if I can find someone willing to hire me and the other venture I have going on with the iPhone application, so if you see this posting 2, 3, 4, 6 months after it has been posted, still feel free to comment.
I've also been working out again using the P90X DVDs. Wow, they do a great job with those workouts. I'm not in any kind of physical shape to work out like I did when I ran track in College, but I can manage to at least get through these workouts....I'm doing the easy ones without weights. I can only imagine the level of soreness when I add in using the bands and a pull-up bar.
So, that has been the past couple of days. I've also been talking with Allstate about the offer they gave me. I admit...we're in tough times, but seriously, should someone accept an offer for less than their last place of employment that has only had great performance reviews, success on individual and group projects, and stellar academic performance? Sort of a rhetorical question, as the obvious answer is NO. So, I gave Allstate a lot of credit on their events to get talented students excited about working at Allstate...but seriously, you have to pay for top talent also.
Fortunately, Booz Allen Hamilton called me out of the blue. They liked the fact that I had a clearance and all of the experience and education I have. So, this position is based just east of St. Louis in a town called O'Fallen, Illinois. I've never been there before...but, I know Booz Allen Hamilton to be one of the absolute best companies to work for from a career progression and work/life balance point of view. So, everyone that reads this post (which is incredibly long) cross your fingers for me. I'd love the opportunity to work for such a widely known global organization!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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1 comment:
Hi Matt, Congratulations on obtaining a 2d Masters! This is just the kind of company that could use your incredible range of knowledge.
http://www.dailytech.com/Hawaii+Endorses+Plan+for+Electric+Cars+/article13578.htm
I am returning to Mexico on the 11th of Dec. to complete the production lab and try and flesh out marketing by going to the University of Guadalajara Marketing classes and speak with the instructors and maybe post some part time work project on their bulletin board in order to find some younger and less scared of new product introductions than my present partner to add to the team. In Mexico the internet is just not very good for new product introduction. Word of Mouth programs that may include some kind of multilevel structure may be the thing, I don't know yet exactly what kind of program or combination of programs will work. I do know that the new process I developed makes a product that works with less cost and risk than antibiotics for many problems.
I like your idea for a pill dispenser much better than the ipod application.
As to the ipod app.:
Maybe it could be rented for a time with a self-contained worm that would wipe itself out after 4 hrs. Micro-payments to BlueTooth dispenser would eliminate cost to Museum and it would become a profit center with a small percentage of sales for providing content. Then its only equipment and placement cost after initial software development.
Pill dispenser:
I think that some kind of clock work mech. would be more friendly to the market that you are trying to reach. Some kind of multilevel pill compartment structure where the pill baskets stay open after dispensing with maybe some music box announcement. Bottom level would have more baskets to dispense every 4 hrs. and next level less baskets to dispense ever 8 hr. and so on. Great product to make in Europe . Hand painted even it could sell for maybe $65. Advertise in AARP magazine.
If you ever want to take a break I have room in Mexico.
Comments about your book idea:
Try to simplify a little more.
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