So, as of June this year I'm a director of a company and in the first 3 months we've done just over 100k profit (before tax).
Sounds excellent right?
On a day to day basis, I find myself struggling with a number of challenges. I'm mid 20s and the business partner is in his late 30s, he is the senior developer.
We're a software company by nature, delivering an enterprise product... but the aim from my side is pushing to a proper high growth SAAS model with a lightened version of the product.
There have been a number of arguments between us both, so much so that sometimes we don't speak to each other. I'm of the strong opinion that process is to blame, and people not sticking to their jobs.
My responsibilities:
MD
HR
Finance
Product Owner
Project Manager
His responsibilities:
Project scoping
Development Team
Testing Team
We have an offshore team handling our work, with 1 dev in the UK. The product really based on shared model, so big clients pay for dev that goes into the core, shared for everyone to use for free.
Currently, projects come in and the approach is that all the development will start after scope is signed, with no input from me at all. This is leading to what I see as a very confused product for my end business objective which is a scaleable software solution. Whenever I provide designs for development, it's always "we won't do that now" - This means the entire product look/feel is driven by a developer (alarm bells should be ringing).
I think this would be fine, if the developer was the same age as me... up to date with what's in and current and sellable... however this guy designs stuff extremely complicated to use, from what I see as the 1990 era, not something a high growth needs.
We've tried to have boards, define the roles... and agreement was made I would not interfere with his development, and he would not have say in designs... his words "I don't care about how it looks". I now find myself a few weeks later in a position I find unworkable, where I can't influence his development, but where he is blocking all my designs for simple things such as line I want. In my view, I should take feedback from the business / clients in regards to the design, but ultimately I have final say as the man driving the vision for the product from customer / marketing / business perspective.
So... tell me GD, am I simply mad and not talking sense... or should I pack this in and move elsewhere?
Sounds excellent right?
On a day to day basis, I find myself struggling with a number of challenges. I'm mid 20s and the business partner is in his late 30s, he is the senior developer.
We're a software company by nature, delivering an enterprise product... but the aim from my side is pushing to a proper high growth SAAS model with a lightened version of the product.
There have been a number of arguments between us both, so much so that sometimes we don't speak to each other. I'm of the strong opinion that process is to blame, and people not sticking to their jobs.
My responsibilities:
MD
HR
Finance
Product Owner
Project Manager
His responsibilities:
Project scoping
Development Team
Testing Team
We have an offshore team handling our work, with 1 dev in the UK. The product really based on shared model, so big clients pay for dev that goes into the core, shared for everyone to use for free.
Currently, projects come in and the approach is that all the development will start after scope is signed, with no input from me at all. This is leading to what I see as a very confused product for my end business objective which is a scaleable software solution. Whenever I provide designs for development, it's always "we won't do that now" - This means the entire product look/feel is driven by a developer (alarm bells should be ringing).
I think this would be fine, if the developer was the same age as me... up to date with what's in and current and sellable... however this guy designs stuff extremely complicated to use, from what I see as the 1990 era, not something a high growth needs.
We've tried to have boards, define the roles... and agreement was made I would not interfere with his development, and he would not have say in designs... his words "I don't care about how it looks". I now find myself a few weeks later in a position I find unworkable, where I can't influence his development, but where he is blocking all my designs for simple things such as line I want. In my view, I should take feedback from the business / clients in regards to the design, but ultimately I have final say as the man driving the vision for the product from customer / marketing / business perspective.
So... tell me GD, am I simply mad and not talking sense... or should I pack this in and move elsewhere?
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