lesson

Being Lightweight: Working with Clients

leelefever — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:34:55 -0400

It's a question we ask each other all the time - what is the most lightweight way we can do this?

We are a small company who is trying to do big things. In order to be
successful, we need to reduce drag - to remove the processes,
bureaucracies and commitments that slow us down and don't pay off.

Today we're kicking off a series of posts called "Being Lightweight" that will relate what lightweight means to us and hopefully help you think differently about how you focus your attention.

Working with Clients

Over the past year, we've evolved in how we manage our work with clients on custom videos. Here are a few things that we do that helps us move quickly and stay lightweight.

Face-to-Face Not Required - We've never met the vast majority of our clients face-to-face. I'm sure it would be nice, but we don't think it's required to produce a video. What it does do, is cost both sides a lot money and take a lot of time that could be used for creativity.

Project Pricing - In terms of the time it take to create a client video, our projects are similar. To keep ongoing billing and at a bare minimum, we price by the project. For us, billing by the hour would create another process that would create drag and introduce a time limitation that may impact the quality of the end product.

Video Development - We apply the 37 Signals concept of "getting real " to developing custom videos. We involve the client at nearly every step along the way, starting with the script. This lowers the risk that big changes will come late in the process and waste time on both sides.

Expectation Setting - Early in the relationship, we take a leadership role in outlining our system for completing the project. We've found that it helps everyone to have structure. We set an expectation about response times and work to make sure that the project lead owns as many decisions as possible.

Single Point of Contact - We ask that we have a single point of contact on the client side. This person is our contact, but also a filter for input from their organization.

Of course our business is somewhat unique and every project is different. However, I think that many projects get behind or off track because they are burdened with overhead, processes and bureaucracy that add weight without adding productivity. Being lightweight in client relationships requires setting expectations, shedding as much weight as you can and focusing on what really matters.

Next up - Being Lightweight: Tools We Use

Being Lightweight: Working with Clients

leelefever — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:34:55 -0400

Today we're kicking off a series of posts called "Being Lightweight" that will relate what lightweight means to us and hopefully help you think differently about how you focus your attention.

Working with Clients

Next up - Being Lightweight: Tools We Use

Being Lightweight: Working with Clients

leelefever — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:34:55 -0400

Today we're kicking off a series of posts called "Being Lightweight" that will relate what lightweight means to us and hopefully help you think differently about how you focus your attention.

Working with Clients

Next up - Being Lightweight: Tools We Use

Being Lightweight: Working with Clients

leelefever — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:34:55 -0400

Today we're kicking off a series of posts called "Being Lightweight" that will relate what lightweight means to us and hopefully help you think differently about how you focus your attention.

Working with Clients

Next up - Being Lightweight: Tools We Use

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

I switched. It happened about 2 weeks ago, I made a Macbook my primary computer for the first time. We've had a Mac around the house for a while, but I've been loyal to my little Sony Vaio, which has been mostly flawless for about 2.5 years. It was a good one.

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

The Dock is cool - I didn't realize how easy it was to manage. I was looking for menu to add and remove icons - then found out that you can just drag them to the trash or onto the Dock.

I want to use the desktop as a default place to drop random files, like I would on the PC - I wonder if it's a good place?

Why are there no Fav icons in the bookmark toolbar in Firefox?

I love the photos that come on the Mac desktops. Must keep updated.

I was lost for a while, not understanding the product menu at the top. I was looking for "preferences" in other menus - not Product Name, like iPhoto".

How can I close all the windows and have the application open at the same time? I know - it's a mac thing.

We've decided to get an Airport Extreme during this process. We needed a new router and wanted to print wirelessly. In the end, it took many hours of experimentation, but we got both PCs and Macs on a secure network and printing wirelessly. My lesson was to get each computer printing with a wire first, then go wireless.

I can open the Mac and it just starts. No waiting around. My PC would take forever.

Is Text Edit the same as Notepad - good for text files? I assume so.

Ahh, two-finger scrolling works quite well. I'm used to scrolling on the right side of the touchpad, but this is an easy transition.

I dig the magnetic power plug, but I don't like it's placement on the side. I have the computer in my lap a lot, and it constantly comes unplugged when hitting my leg. I guess it may do the same from the back.

It's always bugged me that the "M" and "W" are the same key, turned upside down. It looks that way anyway - not sure why that catches my eye.

If I hit Capslock one more time I'm going to remove it.

I'm getting used to the Command (apple) button, but man why not just use ctrl? I think the ctrl button is much better placed for one handed copy/paste/undo, etc. On my keyboard, the "x" is directly above the Apple key. Hitting it makes me feel like I'm learning guitar.

The screen doesn't lean back as far as I'd like.

Why can't I apple + b to bold something in the browser?

How do I go up one folder? Solved - Jay taught me apple + up arrow.

What is this preview thing? I have Adobe Reader, why isn't it working? Oh, Preview was the default in Firefox.

Spaces seems cool. I'm using it to go between iTunes and FireFox.

We need to control the home stereo from our computers. Turns out that Airport Express does it really well. It was a pain to get started, but works like a champ. We now have all computers sharing a single library that exists on an exrternal drive.

When I have two things open (like 2 browsers) I don't see an easy way to switch between then - they get lost behind each other (on the PC they are at the bottom of the screen). What am I missing?

Do I really have to eject usb devices? It sounds like a problem that technology should solve for me.

Searching the computer works really really well.

I've kept the old computer on the network during the transition. Since they're set up on the same network, it is easy to grab files. Just today, I put away the old computer.

Much of our world happens in Google's cloud. Docs, Calendar, Email, didn't have to move from one computer to another. That was so nice.

I know there are a lot of cool and useful mac tools out there, I wonder which I should get?

Oh, Skitch is such an amazing cool screen capture tool. Wow.

I've been tapping touchpads for years - and I've even enabled tapping on the Mac - but never use it. It's funny how quickly I've transitioned to the big thumb-button.

Overall, it's been less painful than I imagined - and I do love the Mac, honestly. It just works. I'm sure I have a long way to go in terms of learning key combinations and shortcuts, but I'll get there in due time.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...

I Switched to a Mac - Here Are The Notes

leelefever — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:03:57 -0400

But alas, I wanted a Mac, and it has come to pass.

Along the way, I've been taking some stream-of-consciousness notes on my perceptions before doing any research. I'm using Leopard, btw. Here goes:

I'm still learning, but today was probably the first that I didn't reach for the crtl button to copy/paste something.

You might also see:

Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac

Life Hacker's Guide to Switching

Please, do share what you have learned...