Maurilio Amorim

Month: September 2011

  • When is Your Project Ready for Launch?

    Whether you are ready to launch a new website, program, software, retail store, new product or even a new church campus, you need to know when it’s ready–not halfway and not overdone, but ready. I have coined a term for what the perfect launch stage, I call it “critical mass.”

    ready to lauch set go

    When launching something new, our tendency is to err on two opposite sides: too much or too little. Too much, or sometimes called “overkill,” can delay a project launch date, increase the budget and make it cumbersome and difficult to understand or navigate. I remember working on a software project that started out as a simple idea to solve a straight forward problem. During development it grew and by the time it finally launched, late and over budget, it was bloated and difficult to learn. Sadly, the extra features that cost the most and delayed the project were not as important to the users as the developers thought.

    Launching with “too little” is no fun either. If it’s not complete or finished enough to meet the need you set out to meet, then people will be disappointed. I remember visiting a retailer’s grand opening. I was surprised that the selves were half empty and they didn’t have any of the things I was looking for. “Come back next week, we should have a lot more stuff then.” Really?! Why didn’t you wait and opened the store with all your merchandize? Needless to say, I didn’t go back. They are no longer in business.

    So what’s the right balance? That’s the question on every project, or product manager or leader.  While it might be different in each case, here’s what it absolutely must do in order to survive:

     It must solve the problem it was created to solve, and do it well. Whether it’s software, product or a facility, it must do the very basic thing it needs to do in a way that grabs people and pulls them in. “This works great. I can’t wait to see what comes next.” Part of this is knowing the problem, how to solve, the audience and staying resolute on the scope. Trust me, this is hard said than done. Scope creep can slow you down, trigger-happy bosses can cause you to go out with less than you need. Remember you need critical mass, just the right amount of features, inventory, products, seats to make it work. For that to happen you better know the problem and your audience very well.

    Have you ever been part of a launch that was either premature or overdone? What happened?

     

     

  • The Return of the Double Breasted Jacket

    The double-breasted jacket has come back in a big way this year. It’s not the same version of the 1930s gangsta look or the 1980s resurgence with big lapels, extra thick shoulders pads and brass buttons. Labels are keeping it youthful and fun but making it more fitted, softer lines around the shoulders and using interesting fabrics. The fun part comes from paring unconventional shoes, no socks and bright colors.

    Some of you might feel the urge to reach way back into your closet and pull out your “vintage” double breasted jacket. Before you risk it, take a look at these new Fall and even Spring releases. If you are still not sure, ask your wife, girlfriend, mother, uh, not your mother, she thinks you look great in anything.

    chris-evans-double breasted suit
    Chris Evans aka Captain America has a light doubled breast jacket paried with a simple v neck and jeans. That's the first double breasted jacket to be on the cover of GQ in over a decade.
    D&G double breasted Fall
    The red sneakers add fun and youth to this D&G Fall suit.
    Ferragamo double breasted jacket
    More Spring than Fall this Ferragamo jacket has strong lines without the gangster vibe
    Dolce & Gabbana gray
    This Dolce & Gabbana jacket is not for the fashion timid. You can either rock this thing or look like an extra from Mel Gibon's Mad Max 1980 movies.
    Cavalli double breasted jacket
    This Roberto Cavalli jacket makes an entrance. Paired with white it's a great look for next Spring

    What’s your take on the new double breasted jacket resurgence?

  • How I Have Assembled an Awesome Team

    We purposely don’t have many sacred cows in the businesses that I run. We adapt and change fast and have become “platform agnostics” so we can server our clients better in a fast-changing business environment. Sacred cows only slow things down and are always self serving. There are three things, however, that we fight hard never to compromise. And if we ever do, we are quickly reminded of their importance and why after all these years, they are still relevant. We call it our 3 C’s.

    These core values are more than just posters on a wall or words on a website. These helped form the DNA of  these businesses and have everything to do with the environment we create internally. We take our time to hire someone at The A Group, so managing them is an easier process.

    hiring a winning team


    C is for Character
    Character is a foundation of any success enterprise. Therefore you cannot have an organization with high ethics if your employees (or customers, for that matter) lack integrity. This should be an obvious one, but you would be surprised of how many people find “gray areas” where there should not be any.

    C is for Competence
    A successful enterprise is formed by competent people who know their job and do it well. As I heard Jim Wright, CEO of Tractor Supply Co say, “If you have a C player, help him to become a B player or set him free.” Without competence your character is only able to keep you in the game for a little while. You will never be competitive with a bunch of mediocre people around you. Leaders who cannot get beyond hiring smarter, more talented people than themselves will stunt growth and lead struggling organizations. That’s specially true of churches.

    C is for Chemistry
    The team must function as a team or the entire organization suffers. In the past I made the mistake of not paying much attention to chemistry with disastrous results. I had competent people who couldn’t get along and the tension in meetings was terrible. I also had to fire a few clients along the way because we just didn’t get along. Every conversation was a push back and every project was a painful exercise in “not screwing up” instead of a partnership into creating something great while having latitude to fail along the way. If there is no trust, grace and collaboration, you might have a mob, but you do not have a team.

    What’s the best or worst team you have been part of? Why?