The Road to Success: Lessons from an iOS Project
As an engineer responsible for an iOS project, I’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to succeed. In this article, I’ll share my experiences and insights gained over the past six months, from the early days of the project to its current state.
Code Hosting: The Importance of Self-Hosted GitLab
When our team first started, we used GitHub as our code hosting platform. However, as the team grew, so did our costs. At $9 per person per month, GitHub became too expensive for us to maintain. Moreover, GitHub’s network access was often unstable, causing frustration and delays. We decided to switch to self-hosted GitLab, which not only saved us money but also provided a more stable and secure environment.
The Value of Good Hardware
Many teams make the mistake of skimping on hardware, thinking that it’s too expensive. However, I firmly believe that investing in good hardware is essential for a team’s success. A good computer engineer’s time is more expensive than a machine’s, and having the right tools can make all the difference. I recommend investing in the latest 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 4K Dell display. Don’t forget to include a good keyboard and mouse, and consider subsidizing them for your team members.
Recruiting Team Members: The Key to Success
Recruiting the right team members is crucial to a project’s success. Many teams underestimate the difficulty of recruiting and the time it takes to find the right people. I recommend starting the hiring process as soon as possible, even if it means taking time away from other tasks. It’s better to take the time to find the right person than to risk morale damage and project delays.
The Swift Transition: A Smooth Process
When our team decided to transition to Swift, we encountered some resistance from our colleagues who were used to working with Objective-C. However, with proper guidance and support, our team members were able to make the transition smoothly. We started by migrating our network layer to Swift and then gradually moved on to other modules. We also provided training and resources to help our team members learn Swift.
Streamlining Development Workflow
To streamline our development workflow, we established a clear iterative cycle and ensured that each team member understood their role and responsibilities. We also established a pre-development process to ensure that requirements were clear and UI maps were in place. This helped us avoid last-minute changes and reduced the risk of errors.
Access CI: The Secret to Success
To reduce the risk of manual releases and ensure that our code was stable, we implemented Continuous Integration (CI) using GitLab. We also used fastlane to automate our packaging and deployment process. By doing so, we were able to reduce the risk of human error and ensure that our code was stable and reliable.
Focusing on Beta Feedback
To ensure that our app was stable and reliable, we implemented a beta testing program using Testflight. We also integrated shake bug feedback into our app, which allowed users to report issues directly to our development team. This helped us identify and fix issues quickly, reducing the risk of user frustration and improving our app’s overall quality.
Insists Code Review: The Key to Success
Code review is a crucial part of any development process. It not only helps to ensure that code is stable and reliable but also helps to improve code quality and reduce the risk of errors. I firmly believe that code review is essential for any team’s success and should be implemented as soon as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the road to success is not easy, but with the right team, the right tools, and the right processes in place, anything is possible. I hope that my experiences and insights gained over the past six months will help you and your team achieve success in your own projects. Remember, the key to success is to invest in good hardware, recruit the right team members, streamline your development workflow, focus on beta feedback, and insists on code review.