This presentation is an overview of everything I have learned about improving skills, refining processes, and creating procedures in my business.

1. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
THE FINAL 20%
Improving Craftsmanship in Web Development
WordCamp DFW 2015

2. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
VILFREDO PARETO
20% of people had 80% of the wealth

3. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
PRINCIPLE OF LEAST EFFORT
20% of the work completes 80% of the project

4. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
PROJECT WORK
Repetitive
Creative
Creative

5. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
REPETITIVE WORK
Energy Gain
Energy Drain Energy Gain

6. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED OR
AUTOMATED SO THAT I DON’T HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT IT NEXT PROJECT?

7. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
CREATE A PROCESS

8. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
HIRED FIRST EMPLOYEE
Getting everything out of my head

9. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
PROCEDURES DOCUMENT
A fancy word for “checklist”

10. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
GET IT ON PAPER
• Eliminates guessing
• Sets guidelines for what is expected
• Greatly improves consistency between projects
• More “brain space”

11. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
HOW TO WRITE A PROCEDURE
1. Do the task as you normally would
2. For each step you complete, describe it in detail in a
1-2-3 step checklist.
3. Evaluate each step to see if it can be simplified or
improved.
4. Experiment with different techniques
5. If you find an improvement, update the original working
procedure.

12. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
1. DO THE TASK AS YOU NORMALLY WOULD

13. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
2. FOR EACH STEP YOU COMPLETE, DESCRIBE
IT IN DETAIL IN A 1-2-3 STEP CHECKLIST.

14. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
3. EVALUATE EACH STEP TO SEE IF IT CAN
BE SIMPLIFIED OR IMPROVED.

15. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
TOYOTA

16. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG,
ASK WHY FIVE TIMES.

17. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79

18. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
1. WHY DID THE ROBOT STOP?
The circuit has overloaded, causing a fuse to blow.

19. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
2. WHY IS THE CIRCUIT OVERLOADED?
There was insufficient lubrication on the bearings,
so they locked up.

20. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
3. WHY WAS THERE INSUFFICIENT
LUBRICATION ON THE BEARINGS?
The oil pump on the robot is not circulating sufficient oil.

21. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
4. WHY IS THE PUMP NOT
CIRCULATING SUFFICIENT OIL?
The pump intake is clogged with metal shavings.

22. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
5. WHY IS THE INTAKE CLOGGED WITH
METAL SHAVINGS?
Because there is no filter on the pump.

23. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
4. EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT
TECHNIQUES

24. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Folders
Trello
Basecamp

25. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
SITE DEVELOPMENT
Local environment
Version Control
Deployment

26. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
5. IF YOU FIND AN IMPROVEMENT, UPDATE
THE ORIGINAL WORKING PROCEDURE.

27. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
START SIMPLE
1. Create text file in a shared Dropbox folder
2. Add my workflows in a checklist format
3. Saved text file
4. For every repeating task in project, repeat steps 1-3.

28. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
REPETITIVE WORK
Energy Gain
Energy Drain Energy Gain

29. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
DEEP PRACTICE
Turning mistakes into skills

30. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
CREATING MYELIN

31. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
FIRE CIRCUIT OVER AND OVER

32. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
2 X 3 = 6

33. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79

34. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
ENGAGE IN DEEP PRACTICE
1. Try something that is slightly beyond your comfort zone
2. Slowly struggle through learning the new technique
3. Repeat until you can do it correctly over and over

35. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
WHAT SKILL DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE?

36. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
STRUGGLE IS THE KEY
TO PRODUCING MYELIN

37. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
CHOOSE A PARTICULAR STRUGGLE
1. Pick a target
2. Reach for it
3. Evaluate the gap between between the target and the reach
4. Return to step one

38. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
REPETITIVE WORK
Energy Gain
Energy Drain Energy Gain

39. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
AUTOMATION & SYSTEMS
Automation of menial tasks lets you focus on building,
creating, and improving your skills.

40. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
WHAT TASKS OR SERIES OF TASKS DO YOU
EXECUTE MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT A
PROJECT?

41. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
SNIPPETS IN ALFRED

42. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
USING THE KEYBOARD

43. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
CREATE AN ALIAS

44. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
ZAPIER CONNECTIONS

45. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
SLACK CONNECTIONS

46. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
GET OUT OF EMAIL

47. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
QUALITY IMPROVES WITH EFFICIENCY
• More time and energy to focus on code quality
• More time and energy to problem solve
• More time and energy to learn new techniques

48. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
REPETITIVE WORK
Energy Gain
Energy Drain Energy Gain

49. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
LOW HANGING FRUIT
Where in your workflow would an efficiency improvement
make the most impact?

50. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
IDEAS TO GET STARTED

51. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
• Keep all notes and todos for a project in one place
• Use code snippets
• Develop locally
• Use a starter theme or framework
• Speed up your computer
• Learn how to use your tools better
• Create project templates with checklists
• Learn keyboard shortcuts
• Create canned email responses
• Use build tools like Grunt or Gulp

52. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
RESOURCES

53. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
GREAT COFFEE

54. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
CRAFTSMANSHIP

55. JEREMY GREEN @GREENHORNET79
THANKS!
Jeremy Green
@greenhornet79
www.endocreative.com