10 Years Keep it Simple

Ten years, my how time flies when you are having fun! I honestly hadn’t even realized it had been this long until someone at KIS told me: “Hey 10 years, wow you should write something!”?This may be my first social media post ever…

?We started KIS 10 years ago with a simple proposition:

• We have had a lot of experience writing complex software;
• We think we are pretty good at it;
• And we really love what we do.

Ten years ago, we were one person with one client.?We are now closing in on 100 employees with active clients in 3 continents.?We delivered over 50 projects last year.?What a ride.?When I look back at the past decade, there are a few lessons and principals that really stand out.

?1) Focus on the Business Problem

This has been one of our core pillars since our foundation.?This idea is honestly something that we talk about as a team daily on all our projects.?Technologists and software writers sometimes seem disconnected from their business partners.?Weak technologists speak their own language, they focus on their own technology problems.?IT teams sometimes maintain a “technology first” attitude to the detriment of their business partners.?IT teams can seem distant and unrelatable to their business partners.?I have seen this unhealthy pattern repeatedly through nearly 25 years of solving software problems.?

This attitude of separating between the business and the technology is avoided at KIS.?Our most basic ideal is focus on the business.?We use many “catch phrases” internally to describe this: “What before how!”; “What does the user want?”; “Put yourself in the user’s shoes”; “What problem are they trying to solve?”; …

We focus on solving business problems using technology.?Without a firm understanding of the business problem there is no hope of a successful software implementation.?This job of “definition” is of top importance.?Poor definition leads to poor execution.?We are obsessed with accurately describing “the business problem” and using technology as a tool to solve problems.?

2) Writing Software is the Easy Part

Software projects are hard, technology projects are hard.?It is no secret that technology projects even fail sometimes.?Writing software however should not be the hard part.?Projects struggle with “everything around the technology”.?Issues arise in “definition”, “planning and estimation”, “coordination and logistics”, “change management”, “operational support”, “people and process”

In our experience, most projects actually get into trouble in the beginning phases.?“Poor definition” is honestly the most common issue in our experience.?Developers are usually very good at writing code … as long as they know what code to write.?Development teams lose efficiency, miss dates and blow through budgets often because they are not “solving the right problem”.?Good developers struggle because they are confused on what to do, not because they don’t know how to do it.?This is why we focus so hard on “business definition”.

This is not to say that other things “around the code” are not also of concern.?We place focus on these problem areas also.?Planning and estimation, production execution, and operational support are also passion points as these are common areas for concern as well.?Writing the code is rarely the issue!

?3) Make the Customer’s Problem your Problem

There are lots of anecdotes about the importance of customer service for a business.?Although these may sound cliché, they are almost all true, and we agree whole heartedly.?Some of the best compliments that KIS has received over the years are those where the customer is thanking us for “taking their problems seriously”.?One of my favorite pieces of feedback was when a new customer told us: “We know that you make our problems your own.”?This is exactly how we feel and operate.?We will do whatever is necessary to make a project successful.?We care. These are the types of things that you cannot make people appreciate with words.?We operate this way, and people see it.?Thank you for noticing it.

?4) You Can have Fun Doing Your Job

One of our phrases around the office is: “We love what we do, we work hard, and we try to have fun while doing it.”?

It is such a blessing to find work that you truly enjoy.?I feel so fortunate to be working with a dedicated group of talented professionals that have similar passions.?We love writing software.?We love solving problems.?We are given the opportunity to use our creativity to deliver value for our customers every day.?We take pride in what we do.?It is not always easy, but it is rewarding, and we derive pleasure from our labors.?

We have also created a culture of belonging.?Some of my proudest moments at KIS were derived from feedback conversations with our own employees.?Feedback regarding the creation of an environment where people know that we can be friends as well as co-workers.?Feedback about having a culture where we support and care about each other.?Feedback about having created a company that is challenging and rewarding and where people can grow.

I am awed and grateful of what we have done at KIS in these past 10 years.?I can’t wait to see what the next 10 will bring!

Benjamin Quintana - CEO