Ok, some links I’ve been reading from Joel on Software. They’re all about developing software, not so much programming as managing the process. This is what I’m interested in, and it’s amazingly refreshing to read these. I’m getting an MBA at the University of San Diego, and I’m happy with the program for the most part. Lots of smart students, instructors, good coursework, too much work, etc. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t know technology if it rose up and bit them. I have remarked that it’s akin to being taught from the middle of a cornfield. Given that we’re in San Diego, perhaps it should be a beach. There is movement underway to change this, and certainly they’re doing great things for infrastructure including better wireless network (it’s in great shape now), having the Profs use WebCT, etc. Unfortunately, they are eliminating their MSIT program, so no classes on or from an IT prospective.

Here are some good articles that I should read again before I get back in the world of IT, assuming that’s where I end up next December:

1. Painless Software Schedules – Software scheduling. Done poorly, it’s the bane of any software company. I could go off a big rant on why scheduling is so important, but Joel does a far better job here.
2. Seven Steps to Remarkable Customer Service – I love customer service. Really. I come out of years of technical support, where I loved my job and excelled. I get a huge kick out of making sure the customer is delighted with our company. There wasn’t anything in this article I didn’t already do or know, but it’s good to be reminded of a lot of the basics. People in this country (world?) are trained that customer service is terrible, which is part of why good customer service is (in a lot of ways) so easy and so much fun! This is here because I have to explain all this to other folks sometimes, and it’s good it have another source.
3. Fog Creek Software’s Software Management Training Program (also discussed here) – This seems like a cool opportunity. The Columbia program actually doesn’t have a ton of overlap with my MBA (one of the reasons I shied away from these instead of getting an MBA is that I think a broader knowledge of business is much harder for me to pick up on my own than knowledge of technology issues) so it’s kind of tempting. Move to New York and work with what has for years seemed a great software company and get experience and more training? More tempting than it should be. Apparently, I like pain. Of course, I also like the beach, so this seems unlikely.
4. The Complete Archive – reverse chronological listing of Joel’s writing, starting with the bigger articles. I’m sure there’s lots more gold, but I need to do some homework.