The Future of Advertising: Maximizing ROI with FAST Channels
During our recent visit to the NAB Show, Free ad-supported channels (FAST) were the most popular topic discussed among industry professionals. This inspired us to conduct further research and share insights on this emerging trend for advertisers. Free ad-supported channels (FAST) are becoming increasingly prevalent, and with the right knowledge, they can be a valuable opportunity for advertisers. As of 2023, there are over a thousand FAST channels available, making it essential for advertisers to understand how to effectively utilize these channels and take advantage of the opportunities they offer. What Are FAST Channels? FAST channels provide a viewing experience similar to traditional linear TV, complete with commercial breaks, and are accessible through internet-connected TVs. These channels cater to specific interests, such as news, cooking, and true crime, as well as reruns of popular broadcast shows or major events like the World Cup. The most popular FAST channels tend to be broad and are currently dominated by broadcasters like ViacomCBS, NBCU, Fox, Amazon, and Samsung. To make the most of their advertising budget, advertisers must know how to collaborate with these channels effectively. By utilizing our insights, advertisers can make informed decisions and tap into the potential of Free ad-supported channels (FAST). FAST Channels: Disrupting the Television Industry for Good? Free ad-supported channels (FAST) have disrupted the broadcast television industry, with players such as TV manufacturers, broadcast studios, and OTT subscription services searching for new revenue streams. But where do FAST channels fit into consumer viewing habits? For viewers, FAST channels complement premium content services like Netflix and Disney+. They also fill a gap left by cord-cutting, providing easy access to continuous content without the need to search for specific shows. And since FAST channels offer a familiar linear TV format, viewers find them a desirable option. Considering these factors, it appears that Free ad-supported channels (FAST) are here to stay and will continue to play a significant role in the ever-changing landscape of television consumption. Key Statistics for FAST Channel Growth Several key statistics illustrate the rapid growth of Free ad-supported channels (FAST): According to Statista, the expected revenue of linear Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) in the US will be 4.1 billion USD in 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence projects that FAST channel ad revenue will reach 9 billion USD by 2026. Variety reports that there are a minimum of 1,400 FAST channels available across 22 networks. In 2022, FAST channel ad impressions increased by 18%, while viewing time grew by 10% year-over-year, as per Conviva. These statistics demonstrate the significant and continuing growth of Free ad-supported channels (FAST), making it an increasingly important platform for advertisers to consider when planning their ad spend. The audiences for FAST channels are growing rapidly, with multiple platforms attracting more viewers than traditional cable and satellite TV in the United States. Networks are fueling this growth by repurposing their idle content and earning revenue through the FAST model. As many viewers reach their limits on monthly content subscriptions, FAST channels provide a welcome way to fill content gaps. This has resulted in faster user growth and higher overall consumption rates for FAST channels, compared to paid subscription services. In short, the increasing popularity of FAST channels presents a significant opportunity for businesses and advertisers to reach new audiences. As more viewers turn to these channels, it is important to understand the unique characteristics of this emerging market and leverage them to drive engagement and revenue. Advertisers have a new opportunity to reach their target audience with the rise of FAST channels. With a collection of content related to specific niche interests, FAST presents the potential to create strong connections between brands and consumers, provided that marketers understand the interests of their target audience. Additionally, if brands have seen a decrease in reach due to cord-cutting, FAST channels provide a way to regain the demographic. Advertising on FAST Channels: Opportunities to Explore With the growth of FAST channels, advertisers have a new opportunity to reach their target audience. Many of these channels cater to specific niche interests, making it easy for marketers to connect with their audience. Additionally, brands that have seen a decrease in reach on traditional broadcast TV due to cord-cutting can use FAST channels to regain their demographic. How Does Advertising on FAST Work? Advertising on FAST platforms can be purchased through programmatic auctions, using the same tools as online advertising. The next step is contextual advertising, where relevant brands are aligned with channels and content that fit their target audience’s interests. The same advertising methods used in subscription services can also be applied in the FAST ecosystem, including dynamic overlays, split-screen ads, and brand/product insertions. Programmatic solutions drive significant revenue, allowing advertisers to target audiences with their own data. FAST Channels: A Golden Opportunity for Advertisers If you’re an advertiser, here are three reasons why you should consider advertising on FAST channels: Massive growth potential: These channels are free, unrestricted, and available 24/7, so there’s a good chance their viewership will keep expanding. High intent and attention: FAST channels offer top-quality content that caters to specific target groups, making it easier for advertisers to grab viewers’ attention. Increased personalization: FAST channel operators plan to use AI to personalize viewing guides, making it easier for advertisers to target specific audiences. FAST channels are proving to be a valuable marketing platform that can connect advertisers with their ideal audiences, both on a per-content and channel-wide basis. If you’re not exploring FAST channels yet, now’s the right time to start.
Navigating the Video Landscape: Our Highlights from NAB Show 2023
Last month, our team had the pleasure of attending the NAB Show, where we joined media and entertainment professionals from around the world to explore the latest innovations and trends in the industry. The 2023 edition of the NAB Show marked a century of this popular convention and trade show in Las Vegas. Over 1,200 exhibitors showcased their latest products and technologies at the Convention Center, and more than 65,000 people attended the event. This highlights that in-person trade shows and conferences still have relevance in this industry, and can provide valuable opportunities for networking and business development. We were among the attendees at this year’s event, and it was a busy 4-day affair. We had many conversations with industry professionals, both within the designated networking areas and at various events and happy hours. After we took a short break, we distilled our key takeaways from the show, which demonstrated yet again the thriving state of an industry that continues to grow rapidly. The $12 Billion Question: Can FAST Replace Cable TV? One major takeaway was the rise of Free, Ad-supported TV (FAST), which has been gaining a lot of attention lately. While some skeptics doubt that FAST can truly replace cable TV, the domestic revenues in the US are projected to hit $12 billion over the next three years. This trend represents a transition back to the linear distribution of video content, but with added flexibility and ease of scheduling, as well as monetization through targeted advertising. It’s important to note that while FAST is becoming increasingly popular, it will only succeed if it can work in tandem with the other business models in the OTT ecosystem, such as subscription video on demand (SVOD), transactional video on demand (TVOD), and advertising-based video on demand (AVOD). AI Takes the Spotlight at NAB: What It Means for the Industry But the major topic of conversation at NAB was artificial intelligence (AI) for sure. AI is rapidly gaining relevance in every sector, including content creation. However, using AI for content creation poses some risks, and it is essential to implement safeguards to ensure fairness and safety. Nevertheless, broadcasters are already adopting the prototypes of AI-driven tools for bandwidth optimization, image quality optimization, and text-based editing tools that analyze and transcribe content of any length. From Views to Predictions: The Role of Analytics in Optimizing OTT Strategies Another important area of focus at the NAB Show was analytics. With so much data available through OTT platforms, content providers and advertisers must be able to analyze and understand user behavior to optimize their strategies. This includes tracking engagement metrics like views, clicks, and shares, as well as using machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and make predictions about future user behavior. The risky business of traditional pay TV: why sports fans are turning to OTT Last but not least, streaming consolidation was the buzzword among big rights holders and owners, while niche sports can look at OTT and its potential to generate new revenue. Despite the promise of FAST and virtual channels delivering seamless playlists of live and on-demand assets to sports fans, it is still down to content to attract viewers to the platforms where that content lives. Premium sports content is one of the few genres still preventing viewers from cutting the cord for good, but eventually, the sports consumer’s experience will move online and away from traditional pay TV, which is perceived as a risky and expensive endeavor to undertake. Bringing the Latest in Video Technology to Our Clients Our team’s attendance at NAB Show was a valuable opportunity to gain insights into the latest trends and advancements in our industry. As specialists in OTT platforms, we were excited to see the growth and consolidation of streaming services, as well as the emergence of new technologies like AI and FAST. We’re confident that our expertise and knowledge in these areas will continue to set us apart in the industry, and we’re looking forward to bringing our clients the latest and greatest in video technology.
Building better TV Apps on Roku: Tips from the pros
Are you an aspiring developer looking to create a successful TV app for a Roku device? Look no further! In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of top tips to help you go from zero to Roku hero. Whether you’re new to Roku development or want to enhance your expertise, these tips from our developers will provide you with valuable insights into the key factors involved in TV app development. So, let’s get started! Get familiar with OTT Understanding OTT is important as it is a key delivery mechanism for TV apps. Explore the key factors in TV app development There are various factors to consider when developing a TV app, such as UI/UX design, content delivery, and compatibility with different devices. Understanding these factors is essential for creating a successful app. #1. Get a Roku device Roku is a popular platform for TV apps, and having a device to test your app on can be helpful for troubleshooting and optimizing the user experience. #2. Don’t look at the Direct Publisher option Direct Publisher is a Roku tool that allows you to create a TV app without coding. However, as a developer, it’s better to learn and understand the underlying code rather than relying on a tool that may limit your app’s functionality. #3. ReLearn SceneGraph & BrightScript (and learn it from scratch) SceneGraph and BrightScript are programming languages used in Roku app development. If you’re new to Roku development, it’s important to learn these languages thoroughly. #4. Read the Roku documentation Roku has extensive documentation on app development that can be helpful for troubleshooting and understanding how to implement different features. #5. Run samples from GitHub Roku provides sample code on GitHub that you can use to learn and test different features. #6. Google it! (but don’t expect too much) When seeking information on Roku development, search online for resources and participate in the Roku Developer Community. While documentation may be limited, don’t give up easily. Stay persistent, use your problem-solving skills, and experiment until you find a solution. #7. Deploy, Test, and Debug Thoroughly Testing and debugging are essential for ensuring your app is stable and functional. New: It’s important to thoroughly deploy, test, and debug the application to ensure it works properly and that any issues are fixed before it’s released to end users. #8. Don’t lose your focus- TV developer’s term but you will use it soon “Don’t lose your focus” is a term commonly used in TV app development and refers to the importance of maintaining a clear and consistent user experience throughout the app. Keep learning Building better TV apps on Roku requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of the platform’s capabilities. By following these tips, you can create high-quality apps that provide a seamless and engaging user experience. From optimizing graphics and animations to incorporating the latest technology and features, there are many ways to elevate your app above the rest. With the right approach and mindset, any developer can build a successful TV app on Roku and reach a broad audience of viewers. Keep learning and experimenting, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the next big thing in the world of streaming TV.
How Our Partnership with Penthera is Revolutionizing Offline Video Viewing for Serving OTT Customers
At 2Coders Studio, we’re always striving to deliver the best possible video streaming experience for our customers. That’s why we’re very proud of our recent partnership with Penthera, a company that offers a powerful suite of download solutions for mobile devices. By integrating Penthera’s technology, we are now able to offer a convenient way to download and watch video content offline. Conquering Obstacles: Our Journey to a Functional Download Service Solution for OTT Platform One of the biggest challenges for video streaming on mobile devices is the use of mobile data. Many users find it frustrating to constantly use up their data plan while streaming videos on the go. At the same time, there’s a growing need for reliable ways to download video content for offline viewing, especially in areas with poor internet connectivity. According to our research, in many developing countries, internet penetration is still very low, with only 22% of the population having access to the Internet in Africa and 12% in South Asia. Moreover, in many areas where internet connectivity is available, it may be too slow or unreliable to stream videos smoothly. This is why, offline video viewing is becoming increasingly important in areas with poor internet connectivity. With billions of people worldwide still lacking internet access, the demand for offline video viewing is likely to continue to grow. Our partnership with Penthera provides a powerful solution to these challenges. By integrating Penthera’s Download SDK into our front-end, multi-device OTT app, we offer our viewers a way to download video content and watch it offline, without worrying about data usage or internet connectivity. Penthera’s SDK works seamlessly for mobile (iOS and Android), making it a versatile solution for our customers. The Integration Process Integrating Penthera’s technology into the OTT projects was a smooth and straightforward process. Our team worked closely with Penthera’s technical experts to implement the Download SDK into the platform, ensuring it was compatible with the existing solution and user interface. The Penthera platform integration process went smoothly on Android. With the help of their well-written documentation and the team itself, the main SDK implementation was a breeze. The whole process took only a week to get it properly working and tested by our QA team. After conducting tests, the team behind Penthera has received feedback. They developed a constantly updated Demo application that serves as a how-to guide for the most challenging parts we’ve encountered. While developing, all additional information from the debug set of libraries helped us achieve our desired goals. Components of Penthera’s Download Solution Since the SDK supports a wide variety of Mobile OS versions, we were able to have 94% device coverage and meet Google Play’s recommended API level requirements. The release notes that were included with each new release of Penthera SDK were used to keep our code aligned and updated with the SDK. Penthera’s Download solution consists of Penthera Cloud (a server backplane) and Penthera Virtuoso SDK (which manages all communication to the cloud server). The main advantage that we had is the versatility while picking the media player of our choice, Penthera supports them all via wrappers for AVPlayer on iOS, ExoPlayer on Android, and others. As with any other SDK, this one also supports User Authorization and analytics which we also implemented. To comply with the various privacy regulation, it only creates a User ID that is tied to a device which allows us to track useful events to further improve our application and media streaming experience. Why is this integration the solution? There are many benefits to using an OTT platform with Penthera’s technology. For one, it allows the customers to watch their favorite videos offline, which is great for long flights, commutes, or trips to areas with limited internet connectivity. It also helps customers save their mobile data usage, as they can download videos on Wi-Fi and watch them later without using up their data plan. Additionally, Penthera’s technology ensures a smooth and reliable downloading experience, so the customers can enjoy their videos without interruption or buffering. Future Plans for user success Our partnership with Penthera is just the beginning. We are excited to explore new ways to use Penthera’s technology to enhance OTT platforms and provide even more value to our customers. We are committed to staying on the cutting edge of video streaming technology, and our partnership with Penthera is a key part of that strategy.
The benefits of outsourcing your native app development project
As technology continues to evolve, businesses are seeking innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition. One way to do this is by developing a native mobile app that can provide customers with a unique and convenient user experience. When it comes to app development, outsourcing has become an increasingly popular option for businesses of all sizes. By outsourcing your native app development project, you can benefit from a range of advantages that can help you save time and money, while also ensuring that your app is of the highest quality. Key advantages of outsourcing your native app development project Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, outsourcing your app development can help you achieve your goals more quickly and efficiently than trying to build an in-house team from scratch.In this blog post, we’ll dive into some of the key advantages of outsourcing your native app development project, including reduced costs, access to a wider pool of talent, and the ability to focus on your core business activities. Reduced costs Outsourcing your app development can be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team because you can avoid costs associated with salaries, benefits, equipment, and other expenses. You can also save on infrastructure costs such as office space, utilities, and equipment maintenance.Additionally, outsourcing allows you to benefit from the economies of scale of a larger development company. Access to a wider pool of talent When you outsource your app development project, you have access to a wider talent pool than you would if you were developing the app in-house. This can be especially beneficial if you need developers with specialized skills, such as those who have experience working with specific programming languages or frameworks. Outsourcing allows you to tap into a global talent pool, giving you access to developers who are located in different parts of the world and who bring a range of perspectives and expertise to your project. Focus on what you do best Developing a mobile app can be a distraction from your core business activities. Outsourcing your app development project can free up your internal resources, allowing you to focus on your core business activities. This can help you improve your overall business performance and drive growth. By outsourcing, you can ensure that your app development project is in good hands, allowing you to focus on what you do best. Advanced technology Developing a high-quality mobile app requires a team of skilled developers with the right tools and resources. Outsourcing your app development project can ensure that you have access to the latest technologies and tools, including design and development software, project management tools, and testing tools. A reputable vendor will have a quality control process in place, ensuring that your app is developed to the highest standards possible. This can help you avoid costly errors and bugs that can negatively impact your user experience. Outsourcing: A Strategic Approach to Native App Development Outsourcing your native app development project can be an effective way to ensure that your app is developed efficiently, effectively, and to the highest standards possible.By partnering with a reputable vendor, you can access a team of experts with specialized skills, access to the latest technologies and tools, and a global talent pool. This can help you save time and money, improve your overall business performance, and drive growth.If you’re considering outsourcing your native app development project, be sure to do your research and choose a vendor with a proven track record of delivering high-quality results.
OTT Advertising: What are OTT ads and how do they work?
Before we dive into the OTT advertising industry and start talking about all the different options to promote your media content on an OTT platform, let’s take a look at why that might be a great idea. Cable television is slowly going to history with the rise of new technology for streaming media content – the OTT platforms. OTT platforms, or OTT apps, (e.g. Netflix) are media streaming apps that deliver video and audio content using the internet rather than cable or satellite TV. And they are winning on more than one front in the battle for audiences with traditional TV. What is OTT Advertising? Similarly to regular TV advertising, OTT advertising is distributed via streaming media but this time on OTT platforms instead of TV channels. OTT ads are the advertisements delivered to viewers within this video content. The good thing about OTT platforms is that they can stream your video content (including your OTT ads) on all of these devices: And allow you to reach your audience wherever they are. Even in the audio world of OTT advertising, we have audio OTT ads. Let’s take Spotify for example. Here the ott (audio) ads are delivered on the free version of the platform in-between songs, in the middle of a podcast episode, or whatever your audience is listening to. Of course, they can always choose to subscribe to premium and pay to continue using their platform without the interruption of ads. In other words – ads equal money because they bring new business opportunities from interested people that might have never heard of your brand before. The technology is expected to vastly improve in the upcoming years and offer tech-savvy marketers a field of abundance to reach their ideal audience in the right way at the right time. This is thanks to the benefits of programmatic marketing (which results in hyper-targeted, super-effective ads), as well as the growing reach of people who transition from traditional TV to streaming services. OTT ad revenue is expected to grow from 45% to 60% over the next ten years, so AdTech developers and early adopters will soon benefit from it. The streaming provider determines the delivery methods and how the platform interacts with OTT devices (whether Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, or another service). This may include using Video Ad Serving Templates (VAST), whose popular videos are often OTT. Ads inserted by server-side (SSSA) and client-side (CSAI) could also be done. This whole sequence looks like this: 1. First, you create your target OTT audience for the specific ad based on the subscription data the platform has on its users. Some OTT platforms contain additional data about the subscriber, like household information or the users’ preferred genre or specific searches for content watched on the platform, to name a few. 2. Next, you develop your creative asset. The creative asset should be visually appealing – following your brand guidelines, should grab their attention with the message you want to convey, and they should be tailored to the target audience.*You choose the format of your ads based on your audience, but most ads on OTT are often between 15 to 30 seconds long. 3. Then, you launch the campaign. The platform starts to search the audience for your requirements and will match the audience to the specific TV subscriber lists on various OTT platforms. The ads are pushed, downloaded, and buffered by the OTT devices. 4. Finally, ads are displayed on OTT platforms, where, depending on the platform, the OTT devices of your viewers are reached using VAST or VPAID tags. 5. Reporting for analysis: After a specific time from the campaign’s launch, the OTT operator sends back ad-exposure results, and the platform gives you a report on the performance of your ads. Linear vs. Non-Linear Ads Maintaining a user’s satisfaction is essential for advertisers who use video ads to try to be less intrusive and more considerate of their viewers’ experience. Pushing the boundaries might annoy some users and hurt monetization, while the right combination of video and content can result in a wonderful experience. It is always a good idea to start by experimenting with various ad formats to make sure the environment is as optimized as possible from all aspects: monetization, usability, and precise targeting. The two primary forms of in-stream video advertising are linear and non-linear video ads. Linear Video Ads In linear video ads, ads take over an ongoing video before the main content is displayed. The ads comprise pre-roll, interactive takeovers, or bumper vignettes. Non-linear Video Ads Non-linear ads run alongside the main content in the same player. They appear while the main content is displayed without potentially disrupting its flow. OTT Ad-Insertion Methods There are two main methods for ad insertion in OTT advertising: CSAI and SSAI. CSAI (Client-Side Ad Insertion) CSAI works by sending requests from the video player to an ad server, which returns the ad. SSAI, on the other hand, works by inserting (or stitching) ad media directly into the video stream, eliminating the need to call a server to receive ads. Here’s a more detailed explanation: CSAI (Client-Side Ad Insertion) is a method of delivering ads to clients via different devices (desktop, mobile, CTVs, gaming consoles, and so on) in which the client (the video player of the OTT app where the person is watching the video) requests an ad from the ad server when it reaches specific ad-markers in the stream or in the manifest (HLS/DASH). When the ad server receives a request from a client, it responds with the “right” ad for the client based on the data collected from the client including other information (campaigns, preferences, etc.). The video player then pauses the video, shows your ad (or group of advertisements), and then resumes video playback. After the campaign, the client has a responsibility to send you the report (we mentioned earlier) on ad metrics: playback, quartiles, interactives, etc so you can analyze your ad performance. Although this
How to Structure a Successful Internship Program for Software Engineers?
As the necessity for tech solutions for digital businesses continues to increase, the demand for software engineers grows simultaneously. However, to be able to kickstart their career, students in software development have one more obstacle to overcome – experience. Today, tech companies require more than a degree when they seek potential employees. For them, it’s equally important that their new team members can demonstrate the ability to work in this environment and produce results. According to latest industry stats, approximately 70% of employers offer their interns full-time jobs and 56% of all interns in the United States have accepted job offers from the company they interned for. So, if you’re a founder of a software company or a student in software engineering, you will both benefit from an internship program – it’s a win-win situation. Here’s how to structure a successful internship program so that you can both have the best experience possible. The Cornerstones of a Software Engineer Internship Framework There are four major elements in the core area of structuring a successful internship program in software development. Snapshot of our Internship Program for Software Engineers The latest internship program for front-end development at our company lasted 3 months and was carried out by our senior developers Nenad and Hristijan. More specifically the program covered: This time we decided to document the process and then turn it into a visual framework. We also prepared a useful checklist that we can share with the community. Quick checklist: We try our best to only recruit interns who we can properly support and possibly retain as full-time engineers. We’re still trying to do this the right way. Even though they have coding skills, a lot of the interns in our program have never had formal employment in the tech sector. Most businesses are able to be of assistance for this type of internship. However, many companies are simply not in the position to support interns who have never seen code before. Investing resources in the form of time, effort, money, and education and bringing up people from that level requires a certain structure. Avoid hiring folks you can’t support when you’re developing an internship program that you intend to use to scout talent. It’s disappointing for both sides = your interns are disappointed because in the end you didn’t hire them, and it’s disappointing for the company as well because the internship program fails to deliver on your intended goals.
Eager to meet you at IBC2022 in Amsterdam!
We’re thrilled that the IBC exhibition finally will be back in its in-person format after two (long!) years. It will take place from September 9 through September 12 at RAI Amsterdam, and as they say – it will be enjoyed like never before by the enthusiastic participants! IBC is one of the world’s most inspiring content and technology events where industry leaders in entertainment, broadcast, and technology gather from all over the world and meet in Amsterdam (RAI) to: IBC’s vision is to empower content everywhere—by the industry, for the industry. And we’re delighted to be a part of this community, where the most influential minds in entertainment and technology come together to envision the future. 💙 Excited to meet you there! #IBC2022 Now let us tell you a little bit about us… At 2Coders we can proudly call ourselves specialists in the creation of customized multiplatform solutions, especially white-label ones, thanks to our wide expertise and experience in developing frontend OTT platforms for our industry-leading clients. We have a distinctive frontend view of the entire development process which makes it possible for us to create innovative solutions with the end user in mind, and bring our customer’s unique idea to life. Here is our range of services in custom software development: Think your business might benefit from a custom-built OTT app? Our OTT apps allow you to stream or broadcast your content on different devices and reach your customers where they prefer to consume it: Don’t miss out on an opportunity to ask us anything on our favorite topics! Let’s discuss new business ideas – we are happy to answer all your questions! Come meet us at IBC for a consultation on OTT and how we can help your organization solve technological challenges with digital transformation. Book a meeting with us, and see you there! ✌️
The Top 10 Resources That Saved My Life as a Business Analyst
By Elena Kojcheva, Business Analyst @ 2Coders As a business analyst, I aim to help maximize business effectiveness through data-driven decisions. Therefore, I use data to form business insights and then recommend changes in my projects which ultimately lead us to take the smart step forward. I’m able to identify issues in virtually any part of the projects, but my focus lies in the requirements of the engineering department and its processes while working in an Agile organization – 2Coders. As businesses seek to increase efficiency and reduce costs, people like me have become an essential component of their growth and business process improvements. With two master’s degrees behind me, one in Business Administration (M.B.A) at Franklin University, and the other in IT Management at the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, I still believe that you never stop learning because the world never stops evolving, especially in tech. So, here are my top 10 favorite resources that helped me keep up with the demands of the modern business world and practically saved my life as a Business Analyst in the fast-paced era of software development and tech solutions. #1. Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love – a book by Marty Cagan, Silicon Valley Product Group The first on my list is one of my favorite books that talks about “how today’s most successful tech companies―Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla―design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world…” I truly enjoyed reading it, as it is not only stacked with valuable insights but it is also very well written. It opens up your mind to new ideas, and new ways of thinking, as you read how the most innovative companies solve today’s problems in an original and creative way while building the products we can’t help but love. The best part is – as you’re reading the book, you can take the information you learn and immediately leverage it within your own organization―significantly improving your own product. Find it here Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love. #2. Mastering Business Analysis Podcast From software development pears, applying the theory of constraints, objectives, and key results to transforming your business with modern agile, their episodes include interviews with leaders in the business analysis community, filled with practical insights, know-hows, latest techniques, and effective practices any business analyst can learn from and get better at their job. The 4 Ps of product ownership, the BA role on a scrum team, and how to know where to focus your efforts episode with Chris Matts are one of my faves. You can listen to their podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Android, or straight from their website player (my preferred choice). Here’s a link: Mastering Business Analysis Podcast. #3. On-demand Webinars on Data Science & Business Analytics As I already mentioned, companies depend on business analysts to find the meaning in the large amount of data we receive and then turn it into relevant business insights to guide our managers and executives make the right decisions. The on-demand webinars which have helped me improve my skills and I always find myself going back to are hosted on the online Bootcamp Simply Learn. The topics they cover vary from business & leadership, to project and quality management, IT service & architecture, cyber security, and big data. This link will take you to their resource page and on-demand webinars on all things business analytics. #4. The International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA) resources Such as this guide to the Business Analysis body of knowledge (BABOK) which is recognized globally as the standard of business analysis aimed at guiding professionals within core knowledge areas, outlining the skills, deliverables, and techniques that business analysis professionals are required to understand in order to achieve better business outcomes. #5. The Modern Analyst’s Blog The Modern Analyst acts as a community and resource portal for business analysts, systems analysts, and other IT professionals involved in the field. Here you can find what you need when you need it. They provide a wide range of providing articles, forums, templates, and interview questions, including career advice, to help you to excel at your work as it already helped me. While their website may not be one of the best you have visited, their resources are high-quality and quite valuable – besides, we don’t judge the book by its cover, right? Here’s a link where you can access their articles – Business Analysis Articles. #6. A Course in GAP Analysis (Practical Approach) One of the best courses on Udemy that I believe any business analyst has to go through in order to understand how to identify the key aspects of Business Process Mapping. It provides an in-depth look at the actual performance of system and process GAP Analysis and how the results of this type of strategy can help your entire organization enjoy the benefits in addition to assisting you in laying out the requirements for a new accounting system. #7. The Design of Everyday Things – a book by Don Norman Another book that ended up on this list and I highly recommend for reading is The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Don Norman which stresses and shows that usability is just as important as aesthetics in human-centered product design. Donald Norman is a cognitive scientist, usability engineer, and the director of The Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego, but maybe most widely recognized for exactly this best-selling book of his on how design can serve as the communication medium between the product and the user, and how you can optimize that conduit of communication to create a pleasurable experience of using the product. Even though it may look like this book has nothing to do with assisting business analysts to perform their tasks better, that is just wrong. We forget the power and the influence the design has on technology and
5 Things I’ve Learned About Leadership in Tech
Tech leadership is all about the competence to supervise and guide a team of experts while making tough decisions on your feet related to engineering and software development. It entails overseeing and leading the process of developing complex technological solutions while at the same time motivating the entire team to perform to the best of their abilities. The two most important aspects of tech leadership are skills and personality traits. The former, which includes both technical and management skills, has to do with knowledge and experience in the field, and the latter comes as a result of your life experiences, habits, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and constantly working on improving oneself. Bright tech leads learn independently through study and the actual work they do, but they also learn from their fellow team members. With proper support from the company, tech leads should be able to focus on improving their tech skills and inspiring others, instead of being overwhelmed with administrative work. We asked Ayoze Vera, our head of web development, to share the top 5 things he learned about tech leadership in the past 7 years of working in the tech industry and leading our team of developers at 2Coders. 💙 I would say that the most important skill of being an effective technical lead is ensuring that your team understands what they are doing, and why are they doing it. This is 50% of the job. Another important thing is having experience. Not only in the tech realm but also in business and project management. The mix of these 3-types of knowledge combined helps you detect future issues and react to them before they become a problem. It gives you ownership of the project and with it comes the responsibility, but if you ask me, that’s kind of amazing. Another key skill (which I am still working on :D) is communication. For me, this role is not only about leading, but it is also about mentoring, and for being a great mentor to your team, good communication skills are a must. What I have learned after becoming a tech lead is that I have to split my time into three units: Team developers, especially beginners, require dedicated attention and coaching, and it is your responsibility as a leader to give them the proper guidance and make sure they understand properly both the problem and the solution. Mantaining a balance between the urgent tasks and the important ones is key. When deadlines come closer, the team tends to stress more and just focus on the urgent tickets while missing the important ones. As a lead, I have to detect this and guide the team to maintain a balance between urgent tasks and important ones. Managing several projects at the same time, sometimes I am more focused on reviewing tickets and pulling requests, and it’s easy to lose control… that’s why it is of crucial importance to keep a “bird’s eye view” on the entire strategy. To motivate my team to stay on track and be more productive under an earlier deadline I would call for a meeting with all of them, get clear on the objectives and the tactics to execute, and then would split tickets and responsibilities between my fellow colleagues. Being both, a leader and a developer gives me the chance to better support my team and work alongside them. And since I love programming, it’s a pleasure to roll up my sleeves and code with them under pressure. Task estimation is an art in itself, and it’s something that can easily vary depending on the requirements and their changes. One of the best decisions we made at 2Coders was moving from closed budgets to more flexible ones. Mixing flexible budgets and agile methodologies let us adapt much better to the client’s requirements, and also the client is able to check, validate or even use the solution at an earlier stage, letting them check and decide if the solution they asked for is the correct one. This approach saves a lot of development work, and also a lot of money for our clients. It’s a win-win situation! Staying up to date with the latest trends in tech is a must” I am a little bit of a freak when it comes to new trends in the tech environment. While working, I usually listen to some programing or technological podcasts in the background, or even at home! I love discovering technology-specific evangelist streams. In my opinion, it is not necessary to dig deeper into every next tech thing you find out about, but it is quite important to have a broad understanding of the spectrum of different kinds of tech solutions on the market, the best practices in coding and the new ways of implementing them so if you ever need any of them at any time, at least you know they exist.