How do you build an innovative internet service team?

Building an innovative internet service team is not only about hiring talented developers, designers, and managers. It also requires creating a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and learning that fosters creativity and problem-solving. In this article, you will learn some practical tips on how to shape your internet service team to deliver high-quality, user-friendly, and scalable solutions.

1 Define your vision and goals

Before you start assembling your team, you need to have a clear vision and goals for your internet service. What is the problem you are trying to solve, who are your target users, and what are the key features and benefits of your service? Having a well-defined vision and goals will help you communicate your expectations, align your team members, and measure your progress.

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Prabhu Rengaswamy

Software Architect | Product Management | Strategist | Thought Leader | Author
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Before assembling the team, find out the following: - Define why the team is essential - What would be the top 5 activities that the team would be doing - What problems will those 5 activities address? - What process will you define to achieve the success? - How will you measure the success of the activities done? - How will you improve the activities down the line - automation, scaling the team, bringing in new tools etc. - Finally, relate what would be achieved to the goals and vision

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2 Hire for diversity and fit

When you look for potential team members, you want to consider not only their skills and experience, but also their diversity and fit. Diversity means having a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise that can enrich your team's creativity and innovation. Fit means having a shared passion, values, and mindset that can foster your team's cohesion and collaboration. You can assess diversity and fit by asking behavioral and situational questions, reviewing portfolios and work samples, and conducting trial projects or tasks.

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Sylvain Kalache

Tech PR Consultant | Former entrepreneur and software engineer
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-Act from day one by making diversity a core value that it's in your team's DNA -Send the right signals to candidates by using inclusive language in job descriptions -Remove bias from the hiring process by using blind recruiting techniques, such as removing names and other identifying information -Look for diverse sources of talent by looking into college alternatives and nonprofit organizations that focus on underrepresented communities -Offer flexible work arrangements and other accommodations that can help attract and retain diverse employees -Make diversity a priority at every level of your team with specific attention to the leadership team

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Prabhu Rengaswamy

Software Architect | Product Management | Strategist | Thought Leader | Author
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- First, don't focus on diversity as your target. When you the right person objectively, diversity will automatically fall in place. Define what roles would you need in your team. - Figure out if that is a thinker or a doer role or a mix of both - Interview the candidates based on the required role characteristic (thinker/doer) - Rather than looking for the perfect fit, look if the candidate is willing to learn. - Look at different sources, experience level and educational backgrounds

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3 Establish roles and responsibilities

Once you have your team members, you need to define their roles and responsibilities clearly. This will help you avoid confusion, duplication, or gaps in your work processes and deliverables. You can use tools like RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrices, job descriptions, or project plans to outline who does what, when, and how. You can also encourage your team members to share their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, and to seek feedback and support from each other.

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Jennie Luke
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- Team Assessment: When defining team members' skills and identifying role gaps, consider areas where they can enhance their skills. Provide opportunities for training, workshops, or certifications. Consider hiring experts for specialized roles or insights. - Tools & Strategies: Establish a working agreement and RACI matrix with the team helps align everyone. It might seem obvious that the team should be familiar with the tools or project management approach, training might be necessary. Tools are used often to suit a project execution style. - Team Collaboration: Ensure effective shared feedback and include a clear way to address conflicts. Consider implementing success metrics to measure role effectiveness and keep a pulse on team morale.

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4 Promote agile and iterative methods

To build an innovative internet service, you need to adopt agile and iterative methods that allow you to respond quickly and effectively to changing user needs, market trends, and technical challenges. This means breaking down your project into smaller and manageable sprints, testing and validating your assumptions and prototypes, and incorporating user feedback and data into your decisions and improvements. You can use tools like Scrum, Kanban, or Lean Startup to implement agile and iterative methods in your team.

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5 Foster a learning culture

Building an innovative internet service also requires fostering a learning culture in your team. This means creating a safe and supportive environment where your team members can experiment, fail, learn, and grow. You can foster a learning culture by providing regular and constructive feedback, celebrating successes and failures, encouraging curiosity and exploration, and offering opportunities for training and development.

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6 Optimize your performance and scalability

Finally, building an innovative internet service means optimizing your performance and scalability. This means ensuring that your service is fast, reliable, and secure, and that it can handle increasing user demand and traffic. You can optimize your performance and scalability by using best practices and tools for web development, design, and hosting, such as caching, compression, load balancing, or cloud computing. You can also monitor and analyze your service's performance and scalability using metrics, tools, and tests, such as speed, uptime, throughput, or stress testing.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you build an innovative internet service team?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Define your vision and goals

2 Hire for diversity and fit

3 Establish roles and responsibilities

4 Promote agile and iterative methods

5 Foster a learning culture

6 Optimize your performance and scalability

7 Here’s what else to consider

Internet Services

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How do you build an innovative internet service team?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define your vision and goals

2 Hire for diversity and fit

3 Establish roles and responsibilities

4 Promote agile and iterative methods

5 Foster a learning culture

6 Optimize your performance and scalability

7 Here’s what else to consider

Internet Services

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