Media Center is Cool, but...
Wow!
That last post got a lot of comments. :)
I'm going to be back on topic for my blog here a bit more and talk about project management on such a cool product. Media Center is a lot of fun to work on, and as you can tell from all the suggestions, there are tons of ideas. So what do we do with all that, and what value does the project manager add?
The point at which we are at in the blog (which is brainstorming features, just like the teams do in Microsoft) is a lot like our planning phase - often called milestone zero. But where does it go from here?
Well that is where project management comes into the picture. We provide structure, process, and cohesion.
In this case, pretending that we are at the start of Vista, I'd work with everyone on this blog to make sure your feature specifications are written and "costed." Costed (not really a word) is about figuring out how much development and test time you need to get the work done and stable. Costing would also include making sure any help files are written, usability studies are scheduled as well making sure the overall schedule of a feature is on track amongst a whole slew of other pieces that don’t get thought about.
That's a big part of project management - to provide a schedule. We work with management and some primary feature teams as well as marketing to create a schedule. We would work to create an RTM (release to market/manufacturing) date with our marketing teams or management and work back from there. There is a lot more that goes into the scheduling then I'm going into right now as it can be an entire blog on its own, so I'm glossing over a lot, a whole lot. Tell me if you’d like to know more as I think a lot of people wonder why software development takes so long and how are dates really picked.
Once we have a schedule we drive that back to our feature teams and give them a framework, or a process, in which to work and succeed. For instance I might push a schedule that requires you to have your specifications, test plans and development costing done in two weeks. That would limit what you can do - and force you to focus on what is most important.
So next time you wonder why we didn't do a specific feature, or why we chose to do one thing over another, think about the fact that if we didn't make choices we'd either never ship or we’d release such a confusing unstable product that it would be unusable.
As a project manager I think about the health of the project as a whole. We call it the 10,000 foot view (as in I see big pieces like mountains and roads but not the little details like bumper stickers on cars), and I provide structure and process to get things done and to be successful. I've spent a little time thinking about processes that we use everyday without realizing it - from buying groceries to getting gas to eating at a restaurant to a simple phone call. All of it is a process - and it shapes how we communicate with the world and conduct business.
Next time I'll talk more about process in project management and the very delicate balance between too much process and too little. After all nobody wants to be too bureaucratic or a burden to creative ideas. :)
Comments
Anonymous
October 26, 2005
The comment has been removedAnonymous
October 26, 2005
Calling me "great master" will get you far. :)
I don't know specfically about DIVX in the XBOX 360, or a whole lot about XBOX strategy...
I think if there is enough customer need and request you might see these things. I know of nothing specific but we do listen to our customers and add popular features.
Now you having a bunch of DVDs ripped and playing them back on XBOX 360 is important to you, I get that - but how many other people have it? How many have it in DIVX format? How does that compare to say watching TV or listening to music? I don't know these answers but if you came to me at work and told me that the DIVX feature had to 100% go in, I'd start asking you these questions and more.
Without know about DIVX support, you can still see from a project perspective perhaps why, if it wasn't there or was there, how we would have come to that conclusion. Everything is a trade-off.
I get your concerns though...Anonymous
October 26, 2005
This is great insight into the process.
I'm fascinated w/ project management practices at Microsoft.
Do you know of any public resources (msdn, or microsoft.com) along the lines of your blog post, which outlines the PM process in more detail?
mthddirector@yahoo.comAnonymous
October 26, 2005
Dave, This is fairly off the topic of this post but your posts are starting to get many responses and thoughts get lost. Can you explain the full situation of the sonicencoders.msi file that seems to be an item that gets a huge amount of online questions. The big question obviously is why Microsoft didn't include it in MCE? It's almost like the Media Center killer app, and the rollup 2 version is such a time saver compared to all other methods of burning HDTV to DVD's, you guys definitely hit that one out of the park! But not every MCE user gets the same MCE experience because each build may or may not it installed.
The MPEG site lists each mpeg2 encoder software royalty payment at $2.50, Sonic requires $.20 per file and Dolby gets a cut out of Sonic's piece. Microsoft retails MCE around $130, so I doubt a royalty of less than $3 per copy excluded it from the final version. Its a small file and MCE is sold as a two CD set anyway so it can't be size. The OEM pack only has one DVD with the file included for three copies of the O/S, and Microsoft doesn't allow small OEM's to change their original disc images, so that can't be it. Was it any expected support costs? Possible liabilty lawsuits from Hollywood? A marketing point you had to let the OEM's take credit for?
See, since neither your company nor Sonic Solutions makes it available to buy, many users resort to begging and pleading for it. It just doesn't make sense, especially if there's money to be made with it! Thanks.Anonymous
October 26, 2005
For the request on more info about Project Management check out http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596007868/102-5509862-4584143?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance
I haven't read it yet, but a lot of people were talking about it at work, and I believe the author worked at MS or works at MS now. There is even a quote from our general manager in the review. :)
On the Sonic issue - I don't really know. Matt Goyer's blog (linked on mine) talks about this a bit - but I don't have the complete answer. I'll see if I can dig anything up, but no promises.Anonymous
October 26, 2005
Thanks! I think it's exactly what I'm looking for.Anonymous
October 27, 2005
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October 27, 2005
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October 27, 2005
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October 28, 2005
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October 28, 2005
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October 29, 2005
Hi David,
As someone that has been involved in the software engineering instructy (from developer to technical director) for the last 11 years of my career I am familar with the development lifecycle and processes involved in developing, testing and releasing software to manufacturing / the customer as well as supporting the end user - however I must thank you for an interesting read and insight into how things are done at Microsoft.
> I think if there is enough customer need and request you might see these things
As such I would specifically be interested to know more about how such a large company as Microsoft listens to it's customers (whether they be large business customers, OEMs or the likes of myself and Joe Bloggs as individual end users) and what processes are in place for this. Especially, as I feel it is generally alot easier for small companies to listen to it's customers - with there being more of a one-to-one relationship in place.
Many thanks and keep up the good work
Kind Regards
SteveAnonymous
October 29, 2005
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