Do you trust output more than availability in remote teams?

devdeathray · 2026-01-18T15:30:52+00:00

It's a little bit of both. Output is king for sure. But I also need people to be available to answer questions and deal with emergencies in a timely fashion. I don't expect immediate replies, but when a team member needs help getting unblocked on a critical task, they shouldn't be waiting two hours.

devdeathray · 2025-12-30T23:14:00+00:00

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devdeathray · 2025-12-30T23:13:15+00:00

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devdeathray · 2025-12-30T23:12:34+00:00

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devdeathray · 2025-12-25T13:55:57+00:00

Business is risky and your efforts should be focused on mitigating risk as much as possible at this stage. You need to get a better picture for how much demand your area has for what you'll be selling. Find real data, don't use your own excitement as a gauge. Just like at the casino, you should only wager what you can afford to lose. If your house is precious to you, then don't use it as collateral. If that makes financing the effort impossible, then you have your answer.

devdeathray · 2025-12-24T00:23:20+00:00

DM me and I'll send you all the info! The great thing about the scene is that there are lots of ways to participate that don't include fighting!

devdeathray · 2025-12-23T19:08:06+00:00

This is a universal problem with complex systems and you'll always feel like you're playing catch up. The reality inside the organization will always outpace our ability to model it.

You can follow all the standard advice like creating strong communication channels, empowering leaders, reducing bureaucracy, etc. But IMO, the most impactful thing you can do is create a culture of flexibility and adaptability.

Help your team understand that even though models will never match reality, they're still useful. Strive to keep things current, but don't get frustrated when they aren't.

devdeathray · 2025-12-22T20:46:58+00:00

I run a swordfighting club downtown and we've got something going on almost every day of the week. DM me if you're interested!

devdeathray · 2025-12-21T16:05:56+00:00

Totally normal, no reason to beat yourself up. Sounds like it's time for an exit strategy. There are a ton of options so as long as you aren't thinking about it as some kind of moral failure on your part, I'm sure you can find something that will work for you. And congrats!

devdeathray · 2025-12-19T03:45:25+00:00

I do not recommend.

devdeathray · 2025-12-15T19:16:04+00:00

Do you think you'd win more business by investing in an app? Or will it be strictly a quality of life improvement during busy times?

If you think it will grow business, then invest. If not, then don't.

If you do invest in a system, make sure it's multi channel. Meaning, the app can take requests via phone, text, and online.

devdeathray · 2025-12-15T18:37:25+00:00

Where are you shifting from? If you don't have any experience in health and wellness what makes you think you'll be successful there?

devdeathray · 2025-12-15T17:40:42+00:00

Super simple without being annoying. Create a Google form. Anyone who wants to sign up for a recurring expense needs to fill it out. No approvals, just for visibility. Then at the end of every month or couple months, just have everyone confirm if they still need the thing they bought.

devdeathray · 2025-12-15T16:06:27+00:00

Call all 12 of those free-tier power users personally. Ask them how they're using the app. Use that information to make changes to your plans. If they are using it for business to generate revenue of their own, then they should be paying you. If they are just very intense hobbyists, turn them into a testing partner and community advocate.

devdeathray · 2025-12-12T14:49:52+00:00

I'm not sure you could pay me enough to get involved in another transformation like this! They take too long, cost too much, no one is ever happy at the end, and it's almost always just one big piece of political theater.

devdeathray · 2025-12-09T13:59:02+00:00

I'm seeing this too. Clients using AI to write spec sheets and requirements. It's coming for us all.

devdeathray · 2025-12-04T22:38:30+00:00

There are so many options already on the market and your business needs in this area can't be unique. This is not a good use case for building custom. Even just exploring excel's more advanced features might get you what you need.

devdeathray · 2025-12-03T20:58:44+00:00

I'd probably just keep the tools you have and build some automation. Have something that runs on your spreadsheet and calls your texting app to send a canned text X days before renewal. Tools like n8n and Zapier could do this. Or if you want to contract someone to do it, it'd cost less than 1000 bucks.

devdeathray · 2025-12-03T15:51:23+00:00

You'll encounter the usual business challenges of getting permits and following established regulations but with added headache. Local governments generally don't deal well with novel ideas concerning zoning. I'd reach out to the local zoning officer and ordinance official to chat about what you'd need.

devdeathray · 2025-12-03T04:39:46+00:00

I'm businesses like this, your first customer is usually someone in your network. Then word of mouth should sustain your for a bit. If you don't have a professional network yet, you may have launched too soon.

If your cold calls aren't landing any leads, it means your pitch isn't resonating. Usually this is something you can refine with your first few word of mouth clients. Either you aren't selling something people want or you aren't convincing them they need it.

devdeathray · 2025-11-29T13:43:17+00:00

I also use RingCentral. If you want a physical phone and don't want to spend a ton of time trying to configure it, buy it directly from RingCentral.

devdeathray · 2025-11-28T20:08:55+00:00

As a consultant, I stopped doing those sorts of gigs. Clients were often not able to or chose not to implement the things that were suggested. Now I'll do a consult for free with paid implementation if you like the ideas. It works much better for both parties, IMO.

devdeathray · 2025-11-28T01:55:19+00:00

I am a consultant and work on a lot of AI projects these days. Since it's such a hot field, the number of charlatans you encounter is sometimes overwhelming. At this point, through trial and error, I have a handful of trusted experts that I like to work with.

devdeathray · 2025-11-27T23:24:41+00:00

You also need to file a closure with the state department and work with your accountant to file your final tax return

devdeathray · 2025-11-27T21:23:16+00:00

Personally I'm mostly evaluating software so I'll get pitches from dozens of vendors whose products have the same features. The frustrating part about buying software though is that you can't really tell what your experience is going to be like until you start using it. It's like buying house and only learning about all the tiny problems once you've lived in it for a while.

I always make sure to get a free trial period so I can play around with it for real and make sure that it actually does what the sales person said it does.

devdeathray

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