Improve Your Programming Challenge by Asking Candidates to Read Code

Atomic interviews quite a few folks for entry-level software development positions each year. Part of the interview process involves a programming challenge. We try our best to present challenges that are similar to the work we do day-to-day, rather than asking candidates to solve obscure algorithmic puzzles. Generally, though, our candidates start from a blank […]

Management Levers: An Engaging Engagement Model

I’ve been selling custom software projects for nearly a decade. In my opinion, the most important part of the sale is correctly setting the client’s expectations for the design and development journey that’s in front of them. A key expectation to align on is the engagement model. Over the past few years, I’ve been describing […]

Code Reviews Are a Mistake – Try Pair Programming

Recent projects have made it crystal-clear to me that formal code reviews create waste and provide no value in return. By relying on pair programming, my project teams are delivering more effectively and efficiently than before.

Five Requirements to Bring Software to the Market

As consultants who build software, it’s sometimes easy to forget that, for our clients, the software itself is only one piece of the larger product launch. You could build the best software in the world, but if no one knows about it, that doesn’t matter.

How Atomic Goes About Setting a Project Budget

If you’ve worked with other custom software companies, you’ll notice that Atomic’s approach to budgeting is unique. It’s a lot more time-intensive and comprehensive. In fact, when I deliver a budget model to a customer who is comparison shopping, they often tell me something like, “This is the most comprehensive analysis I have seen from […]

Product Owners Shouldn’t Shy Away from Customer Surveys

One factor that determines the success of product development is how much value customers get from the product being built. This is why I’m a proponent of surveying customers before, during, after product development.

Cross-Platform Mobile Frameworks – Benefits & Tradeoffs

When clients first contact us about building a mobile app, they often wonder if they should build separate native mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms, or if they should use a cross-platform framework. In the past, cross-platform frameworks have gotten a bad rap, and for good reason. They were slow, they didn’t look […]

Is Software the Best Solution? These 5 Questions Will Help You Decide

These days, most companies are expected to have some sort of digital or connected solution. Even industries that have been paper-based or seem removed from connected solutions are feeling pressure. Their executives may think they need a solution, but what should it be? And how do you determine if software is the right solution?

What To Expect From Your Product Development Team

Over the years, I have seen business people and stakeholders become frustrated with the teams who make custom software for them. It’s understandable! Few people have any preparation for their first custom software project. They dive in with enthusiasm and subject matter expertise. Sometimes, it goes great. Sometimes, it goes poorly. I believe that the […]

Writing a Great Software Development Contract, Part 4 – Breaches and Termination

Sometimes, an engagement doesn’t go according to plan, and it’s a good idea to agree on what to expect if this occurs. Custom software contracts commonly define how to fix a situation if expectations aren’t being met, and they may also define rights for terminating an engagement.

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