[{"title":"How a Shark Tank Pitch Led Zoobean’s Founders in an Unexpected Direction","content":"\u003cp\u003eEvery entrepreneur wonders: “Will my startup sink or swim?” When Felix Brandon and his wife Jordan Lloyd Bookey launched \u003ca href=\"https://www.beanstack.com/\"\u003eZoobean\u003c/a\u003e, a startup focused on children’s reading, they found themselves swimming in rough waters early on. A few months after launch, the founders were invited to pitch their business on the TV show Shark Tank.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat felt like a sinking moment turned into more than a lifeline for the fledgling business — it entirely transformed their business model. In the year that followed the Shark Tank episode, Zoobean went from a consumer subscription service to an enterprise reading program platform loved by millions of readers of all ages.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1618267711-Reading%20Log.png\" alt=\"Reading Log\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='from-the-mouths-of-babes-to-the-scrutiny-of-sharks' href='#from-the-mouths-of-babes-to-the-scrutiny-of-sharks'\u003eFrom the mouths of babes to the scrutiny of sharks\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eZoobean began in the simplest way: with a child’s comment. Felix and Jordan were looking for children’s books that could help their two-year-old son learn how to be a big brother, and they came across a book that featured an interracial, interfaith family like their own. For the first time, their son immediately recognized his own family in the pictures: “That’s mommy. That’s daddy. That’s me.” Felix recalls that pivotal moment: “We felt that everyone should have this experience of seeing themselves in a book. The problem was finding those books.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFelix and Jordan set about solving that problem, and in 2013, Zoobean was born. The company’s mission was to help people discover books that were right for their family. To jumpstart the business, the couple participated in a weekend competition run by NewME, an entrepreneurship program for founders who were people of color and/or women. Zoobean won the competition and NewME featured the startup across its social channels.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat happened next was an entrepreneur’s dream come true. Felix and Jordan received a random email from a producer with \u003ca href=\"https://abc.com/shows/shark-tank\"\u003eShark Tank\u003c/a\u003e — a show that could introduce their new service to the nation. Felix had been a long-time fan of the show from its early days, and he couldn’t believe his luck. “It was surreal,” he says. “The email came from a gmail address, so we didn’t believe it at first. We looked him up on IMDb before calling him.” Two months later, the couple were on the Shark Tank set in Hollywood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-drama-of-the-shark-tank-pitch' href='#the-drama-of-the-shark-tank-pitch'\u003eThe drama of the Shark Tank pitch\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Felix and Jordan arrived on set, it looked and felt like the familiar show — that is, until taping started. It was chaotic: everyone talked at once, the sharks made snide comments, and the entrepreneurs were struggling to hold their own. It was nothing like the edited version that appears on TV. “At one point, though,” says Felix, “it just felt like any conversation where you’re trying to pitch your business. But it was almost better, because we knew it would end with a “yes” or “no” rather than be left in limbo.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, their answer did not come easily. The founders received heavy critique for the modest size of Zoobean’s customer base at the time, and the company’s business category also lacked definition, which sparked heated debate between the sharks. Although Zoobean’s focus was on sending books to monthly subscribers, Mark Cuban insisted that it was actually a technology company. Kevin O’Leary argued that Zoobean was a marketing company that “sent people things in a box.” In the end, Mark Cuban would be proven right.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shark Tank experience was tough on Felix and Jordan, but they walked away with two invaluable wins. One was a “yes” from Mark Cuban, who invested $250k in the startup. “It was actually a benefit that we were so early in our business,” says Felix. “Mark seemed to understand and appreciate where we were with it.” The second was their new investor’s insight — maybe Zoobean really was a tech company? Felix and Jordan began to think more about their software’s potential and less about growing subscriptions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='getting-ready-for-scale-at-prime-time' href='#getting-ready-for-scale-at-prime-time'\u003eGetting ready for scale at prime time\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOnce Mark Cuban decided to invest in Zoobean, Felix and Jordan teamed up with Tyler Ewing to lead technical development. The initial site had been built on Heroku by an agency, and when Tyler took the reins, he started by focusing on scalability. The Zoobean team didn’t know exactly when their episode would be aired, and they wanted to be ready for a surge in traffic to the site at showtime.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eZoobean’s Heroku technical account manager walked Tyler through the process of monitoring performance and scaling dynos on Heroku, as well as load testing and making any modifications needed. They were storing data in \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/postgres\"\u003eHeroku Postgres\u003c/a\u003e and background jobs in the Heroku Add-on Redis to Go, using Sidekiq to process background jobs asynchronously. Caching data using the \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons/memcachier\"\u003eMemCachier\u003c/a\u003e add-on also helped enable scale.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother startup had experienced a crash during their Shark Tank episode, and the team was determined to avoid that scenario at all costs. Tyler load tested four times more traffic than expected — close to 200,000 requests per minute — and the site handled it well. Zoobean was ready.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='monitoring-web-traffic-during-the-show' href='#monitoring-web-traffic-during-the-show'\u003eMonitoring web traffic during the show\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn April 18, 2014, six weeks after taping, the Zoobean episode aired. Sure enough, the expected traffic spike happened right when Felix and Jordan came on set and in the 15 minutes that followed. Throughout the show, Tyler kept a close eye on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/dx\"\u003eHeroku Dashboard\u003c/a\u003e, as well as performance metrics coming in from \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons\"\u003eHeroku Add-ons\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons/newrelic\"\u003eNew Relic APM\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons/librato\"\u003eLibrato\u003c/a\u003e. “I think anytime you see that amount of traffic hit your site all of a sudden,” Tyler says, “it\u0026#39;s always going to be scary.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo help allay his fears, their Heroku technical account manager had set up a channel on HipChat so that he could be available to help Tyler troubleshoot if needed. This allowed the whole team to relax a bit knowing that they wouldn’t have to scramble to try and get support in the moment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the show aired on the East Coast, there was a second spike later that evening from West Coast viewers. Much to the team’s relief, the site held steady throughout with no issues, even as close to 25,000 concurrent users were eagerly exploring Zoobean as they watched Felix and Jordan pitch the business on TV.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='feedback-leads-to-business-transformation' href='#feedback-leads-to-business-transformation'\u003eFeedback leads to business transformation\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor many startups, an appearance on Shark Tank results in millions of dollars in sales. For Zoobean, it was the opposite. The show sparked a tremendous amount of interest in the company, but sales were disappointing — yet another indicator that the business model needed a course correction. Undaunted, the founders responded quickly, which ultimately saved them time, energy, and resources. Felix says: “Our Shark Tank experience allowed us to see what wasn’t working. It would have otherwise taken us months, or maybe more, to figure that out.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the time the show aired, the startup had already begun to pivot. Zoobean was still focused on consumers, but it now included a personalized book recommendation system, which put more focus on the technology and app experience than on shipping books.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoon, Zoobean was getting attention from libraries across the country, which opened entirely new opportunities for the business. The team worked with the Sacramento Public Library to develop a version of the app that allowed the library to recommend books in its collection to members. As more and more libraries followed suit, new ideas emerged, and Zoobean evolved even further. The team saw an unexpected spike in use from one library and discovered that it was using the app to run a summer reading program. They began promptly adding new features, such as tracking and incentives, that enabled libraries to engage readers in reading challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe result was their flagship product \u003ca href=\"https://www.beanstack.com/solutions/engage-your-community\"\u003eBeanstack\u003c/a\u003e, a customizable reading challenge platform for libraries, schools, colleges and universities, and corporations. “That’s really where the business has grown,” says Felix. “Recommendations are still important, but we’re now more focused on motivating groups if readers of all ages to read more.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1618267770-Challenges.png\" alt=\"Challenges\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='today-zoobean-is-home-to-millions-of-readers' href='#today-zoobean-is-home-to-millions-of-readers'\u003eToday, Zoobean is home to millions of readers\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSeven years after Shark Tank, Zoobean is a thriving company that serves over 1,900 library systems (representing 10,000 library branches), 1,200 schools, and three million readers. It’s business model is now primarily enterprise-focused, but the company’s core mission remains the same: helping kids become lifelong readers. This continually inspires new, innovative ideas to make an impact, such as extending the challenge model to support reading fundraisers, where students can raise money for their school by reading. In another new direction, companies are using Beanstack to run team-building programs based on shared reading experiences.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eZoobean is also looking towards expanding Beanstack internationally and recently launched in Canada. To support Canadian data residency requirements, the team worked with Heroku to connect an AWS database in Canada to their \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/private-spaces\"\u003eHeroku Private Space\u003c/a\u003e using PrivateLink. “We\u0026#39;re just really comfortable with Heroku,” says Tyler. “We didn\u0026#39;t want to have to find another solution from a company in Canada or someone else. We wanted to try to keep as much consistent as possible, and Private Spaces offered us the way to do it.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Felix and Jordan look back on their journey, one thing is clear. The Shark Tank experience was the springboard to Zoobean’s success, and they are “eternally grateful to be a part of the Shark Tank family.”\u003c/p\u003e\n","published_at":"2021-04-14T18:40:00.000Z","permalink":"https://blog.heroku.com/zoobean-shark-tank-pitch","tags":["addons","education","Startup","scaling","shark tank","postgres"],"summary":"Learn how the team behind education startup Zoobean handled scale and transformed their business model after appearing on the TV show Shark Tank."},{"title":"An Iconic Fundraising Tradition Returns with a 21st Century Twist","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://www.integrate.io/\"\u003eXplenty (Integrate.io) platform\u003c/a\u003e allows organizations to integrate, process, and prepare data for analytics in the cloud. Xplenty is also available as a \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons/xplenty\"\u003eHeroku Add-on\u003c/a\u003e. Abe Dearmer is the company\u0026#39;s COO.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOften, innovation sparks innovation in unforeseen ways. In the early 1950’s, television brought the world an entirely new experience that not only changed people’s daily lives, but also created a unique platform for national culture. One of the most beloved and enduring traditions that emerged on this new national stage was the telethon. A combination of “television” and “marathon,” a telethon is a broadcast fundraising event that lasts for several hours or days and features entertainment interspersed with a call for donations. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmerica’s most iconic, and longest-running, event was the \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jerry_Lewis_MDA_Labor_Day_Telethon\"\u003eJerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon\u003c/a\u003e run on behalf of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mda.org/\"\u003eMuscular Dystrophy Association\u003c/a\u003e (MDA). In 1952, the comedian began hosting an annual Thanksgiving telethon for the charity’s New York chapter, and in 1966, the event moved to Labor Day weekend and went national. When it was discontinued in 2015 (just one year shy of its 50th anniversary), Jerry Lewis and his telethon crew had raised more than two billion dollars for the MDA. Over the years, the once-novel platform of television became an important catalyst for transforming the lives of people suffering from this heartbreaking disease.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='a-new-definition-of-telethon' href='#a-new-definition-of-telethon'\u003eA new definition of “telethon”\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fight against neuromuscular diseases continues, and in 2020, there is still no cure. Fundraising is still a top priority for the MDA, and to develop their next strategy, the organization first looked to its past successes. However, the world has changed dramatically in fifty years. The epicenter of national culture has moved away from broadcast television and onto a plethora of social media platforms. Could the telethon format be adapted to fit this fragmented landscape and engage a new generation of donors? \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThanks to the collective efforts of a number of celebrities and technology providers, the MDA ran an all-new telethon this past October. Hosted by another popular comedian, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mda.org/telethon\"\u003eMDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon\u003c/a\u003e was a two-hour event that streamed across multiple platforms and included comedy, music, gaming, an afterparty, and more. The event did indeed spark engagement and generosity — it raised a whopping $10.5 million to support the MDA, as well as Kevin Hart’s own charity, \u003ca href=\"https://helpfromthehart.org/\"\u003eHelp From the Hart\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='from-phone-bank-to-multi-platform-donation-engine' href='#from-phone-bank-to-multi-platform-donation-engine'\u003eFrom phone bank to multi-platform donation engine\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring a Jerry Lewis telethon, an army of volunteers would man the event’s phone lines as people called in to pledge their donations. This time, an all-digital approach needed to pull together a more complex framework, as well as help scale beyond the impressive reach of the old format. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA live, multi-stream, interactive event requires the careful orchestration of many different technologies and services. During the weeks leading up to the telethon, the event team worked with fundraising platforms \u003ca href=\"https://www.donordrive.com/\"\u003eDonorDrive\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://tiltify.com/\"\u003eTiltify\u003c/a\u003e to develop and launch a number of online campaigns, as well as collect donations. To track the funds that flowed in from various sources, the MDA needed a data dashboard that would give them a unified view of activity and allow them to analyze and leverage the data. Their requirements included the ability to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAggregate fundraising data from both DonorDrive and Tiltify to create a single source of truth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrack donations by channel to understand where donors were engaging with the event.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGroup donations by location and team in order to present combined fundraising results.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplay real-time data on the telethon website showing the total funds raised, the amount received per location, and leaderboards for contributions by individuals and groups.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1609971013-mda.png\" alt=\"The MDA Kevin Hart Kid\u0026#39;s Telethon site screenshot\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='data-fuels-the-digital-telethon' href='#data-fuels-the-digital-telethon'\u003eData fuels the digital telethon\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBuilding the telethon’s data system was truly a collaborative effort between the MDA, Salesforce, and Xplenty engineering teams. They deployed an app on Heroku that aggregated data in \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/postgres\"\u003eHeroku Postgres\u003c/a\u003e to create a single source of truth. A key part of this process was handled by \u003ca href=\"https://elements.heroku.com/addons/xplenty\"\u003eXplenty\u0026#39;s\u003c/a\u003e data integration service. Xplenty provided a data pipeline tool to extract data from DonorDrive and Tiltify into Postgres, as well as an on-platform transformation layer to prepare the data for display. The team then used Xplenty to automatically run the processes on a set schedule that updated the Heroku Postgres instance in near real-time. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith the data system set up, the team could then build ways to use it. They created an internal reporting and analytics dashboard to track and access data as needed. These insights helped the organization understand which promotional campaigns were effective and where they may want to focus their efforts during future fundraising campaigns.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe telethon website also displayed real-time donation numbers during the event to help keep everyone energized and engaged with MDA’s goals. MDA engineers used \u003ca href=\"https://www.tableau.com/\"\u003eTableau\u003c/a\u003e to present data in a visually attractive way that was also easy for anyone to digest. Prospective donors would see exactly where their gift would fall on the leaderboards, potentially inspiring them to donate more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1609970879-top-fundraisers.jpg\" alt=\"List of top MDA teams and top fundraisers\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='teamwork-makes-the-dream-work' href='#teamwork-makes-the-dream-work'\u003eTeamwork makes the dream work\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Jerry Lewis telethon was made possible by a wide network of local TV stations — dubbed “the Love Network” by the MDA — which, at its peak, included 213 stations across the country. Today, the organization is working with a new set of partners, but the spirit of teamwork for a great cause remains the same. A close collaboration enabled the MDA to get a first social media telethon under their belt, and they can now create a repeatable format that breathes new life into this traditional event for years to come.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe MDA’s partners can also scale their learnings to achieve even greater impact. Thanks to the MDA experience, Xplenty can now offer DonorDrive and Tiltify pipeline templates to other charities interested in creating a single source of truth for their fundraising efforts. \u003c/p\u003e\n","published_at":"2021-01-21T16:36:00.000Z","permalink":"https://blog.heroku.com/muscular-dystrophy-association-telethon","tags":["xplenty","tableau","non-profit"],"summary":"Learn how Heroku, Xplenty, and Tableau helped the Muscular Dystrophy Association run a new kind of telethon on social media."},{"title":"Coding at the Speed of a Pandemic: How Kilterset Delivered Apps That Test the Test Kits","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe need for speed takes on a new meaning in the face of a pandemic. With millions of lives at stake, everyone in the healthcare ecosystem, from medical facilities to laboratories to equipment manufacturers, races to do their part to help curb the spread. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith the coronavirus, the world put \u003ca href=\"https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/why-covid-19-testing-key-getting-back-normal\"\u003ewidespread diagnostic testing\u003c/a\u003e at the core of its pandemic response playbook. However, testing is only effective if the test results are accurate — a false negative could not only endanger the individual, but also their entire community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThird-party quality assurance providers play a vital role in testing the tests. They make sure that test equipment and processes adhere to the highest standards. One of the global leaders in this field is the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (\u003ca href=\"https://rcpaqap.com.au/\"\u003eRCPAQAP\u003c/a\u003e). Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the company has assisted with vetting diagnostic testing in Australia.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo be an effective partner in Australia’s pandemic response, RCPAQAP needed speed on their side. So, their software development agency, Kilterset, hit the ground running and deployed rapid point-of-care quality assurance apps to Heroku in record time — just before test kits began to roll out across the country. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1606848814-Trineo%20RCPAQAP%20Covid%20App%201.jpg\" alt=\"Kilterset RCPAQAP Covid Testing  App\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-vision-an-app-platform-to-qa-coronavirus-test-kits' href='#the-vision-an-app-platform-to-qa-coronavirus-test-kits'\u003eThe vision: an app platform to QA coronavirus test kits\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Australia ramped up coronavirus testing, diagnostic test kits from different suppliers began flooding into the country’s pathology labs. RCPAQAP took on the challenge to develop a new quality assurance program to ensure that these kits performed as expected and that their rapid deployment did not undermine quality standards. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo be successful, RCPAQAP’s solution needed to be first and foremost simple to use. Like all frontline health professionals, lab technicians were under a great deal of stress, and any test validation tools had to mitigate the risk of user error or decision fatigue. The solution also had to seamlessly scale to serve a potentially massive increase in testing in the weeks or months to come, as the virus showed no signs of slowing down. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn partnership with Kilterset, RCPAQAP envisioned two cloud applications that would support both core objectives. A progressive web app for mobile use would allow users to capture and transfer lab testing data and send it to RCPAQAP for quality assurance. An administration portal would allow the company to access and manage test data, as well as share it with others involved in pandemic response, such as healthcare organizations and public health authorities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBoth apps needed to be ready to go \u003cem\u003ebefore\u003c/em\u003e test kits were made available — which meant only a few short weeks for development. The Kilterset team had to act fast.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-context-complex-system-integrations-made-it-harder-to-build-quickly' href='#the-context-complex-system-integrations-made-it-harder-to-build-quickly'\u003eThe context: complex system integrations made it harder to build quickly\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKilterset’s partnership with RCPAQAP goes back several years. The agency had already built a robust platform to support the company’s ongoing QA programs, featuring a number of deep integrations that enable data sharing with various medical systems and business systems (like Salesforce). \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe COVID-19 project, however, presented a different kind of challenge. This time, the focus was on development agility (which would enable maximum speed). The Kilterset team could have built on top of the existing platform, however development would have been slower, making it harder to deliver the new apps as quickly as the country needed them. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe team decided to step back and start fresh. Alice Eller, Director of Project Delivery at Kilterset, says: “Just focusing on the new apps in isolation gave us the freedom to be more nimble and move faster, while still leveraging all the knowledge we’d gained from working with RCPAQAP over the years.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-shift-an-agile-prototyping-focused-methodology' href='#the-shift-an-agile-prototyping-focused-methodology'\u003eThe shift: an agile, prototyping-focused methodology\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kilterset team sat down with the project manager at RCPAQAP and gathered some basic requirements for the apps to give them a rough shape of what was needed. In a few hours, one developer spun up an initial prototype, deployed it to Heroku, and shared it with the client who could then provide constructive feedback. Having a quick prototype gave everyone a tangible sense of what the app could be — right from the start. With very low effort and cost, the team could capture valuable learnings and work towards an MVP with confidence. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause the project’s time frame was so tight, the Kilterset team had no time to take a wrong turn at any point. Everything they built had to be the right thing, and the team couldn’t allow themselves to get stuck down a rabbit hole. The prototyping approach was invaluable because it gave them a quick way to validate an idea and then go build it out properly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='shipping-incrementally-to-stay-ahead-of-the-deadline' href='#shipping-incrementally-to-stay-ahead-of-the-deadline'\u003eShipping incrementally to stay ahead of the deadline\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of four weeks, the team worked on the new platform piece by piece, deploying what was ready to production on Heroku, and then moving on to the next. The basic functionality was there early on, and if the test kits were released earlier than expected, RCPAQAP could have started their program with the apps as is. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this time, some of RCPAQAP’s program logistics were falling into place, such as QR codes for each test kit, and those got incorporated into the app as well. Eventually, the full, end-to-end user flow was completed well before the test kit rollout, and there was even a little extra time to add some bells and whistles. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEller says, “It was a really nice feeling to know that we were \u003cem\u003eready\u003c/em\u003e. We had solid, quality apps in time for our client to help tackle this major crisis that was quickly unfolding.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1606848584-Trineo%20RCPAQAP%20Covid%20App%202.jpg\" alt=\"Kilterset RCPAQAP Covid participant test screenshots\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='from-testing-to-validation-a-sample-in-just-a-few-clicks' href='#from-testing-to-validation-a-sample-in-just-a-few-clicks'\u003eFrom testing to validation a sample in just a few clicks\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo validate a test kit, RCPAQAP uses coronavirus test samples that they know to be either positive or negative. They attach a QR code and unique ID to each sample and ship it out to a testing laboratory. The lab technician then tests the sample using a particular brand of test kit and then scans its QR code on their mobile phone to bring up the RCPAQAP progressive web app. Because the app’s UI is so simple, the technician can quickly enter the test results without fear of mistyping or clicking the wrong button. They also attach a photo of the test kit itself, and submit it with the report. The RCPAQAP receives a notification that the report is available for review, and the team then compares it with the known results. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn one case, the team identified a mismatch. RCPAQAP had sent out positive test samples and the reports were coming back negative. Without the photo capture feature in the app, the lab could have concluded that the technician had misinterpreted the results of their test. But the photo showed that the actual test kit was showing an incorrect result. The lab stopped using the test kits and reported the findings to the manufacturer. This goes to show how important the QA process is for lab tests, particularly during a pandemic when one faulty test kit can impact so many lives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='kilterset-express-on-heroku-a-new-way-of-working-for-clients' href='#kilterset-express-on-heroku-a-new-way-of-working-for-clients'\u003eKilterset Express on Heroku: a new way of working for clients\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrior to the RCPAQAP project, Kilterset had been developing a repeatable methodology for quickly prototyping and delivering new apps, and the success of the new test kit apps only energized the team even more. Kilterset Express is designed to enable businesses to extract maximum value out of ideas and quickly turn them into real solutions. Says Eller: “At the start of an Express project, we ask ourselves: ‘What is the smallest thing we can put in front of a customer that they will find meaningful?’ And we’ll build on that.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeroku is the cornerstone of Kilterset Express. As with the RCPAQAP apps, Heroku makes it easy for developers to spin up a prototype and iterate quickly without having to spend time on infrastructure concerns. They can also leverage a wide range of Heroku Add-ons to add functionality that demonstrates their ideas. But most importantly, once the pieces of a project get pushed to production, they can stay on Heroku for the long term. Heroku’s seamless scalability allows clients like RCPAQAP to handle massive spikes in traffic without issues. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEJ Guren, Head of Marketing at Kilterset, believes that the Express offering is particularly ideal for businesses who are struggling during the pandemic: “Many businesses are facing budget constraints, a decrease in consumer activity due to waves of lockdowns, and so on. How can they avoid stagnation or the risk of falling too far behind? We help them continue to invest wisely in their business on an incremental basis, so that when the world recovers, they’re way ahead.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='speed-can-be-exhilarating' href='#speed-can-be-exhilarating'\u003eSpeed can be exhilarating\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Kilterset team, one of the most surprising outcomes of the RCPAQAP project has been the experience itself. Everyone thrived while working in the Express mindset. Rapid iteration allowed the client to see progress and participate fully every step of the way. Clear direction and fast feedback allowed the team to forge ahead knowing they were on the right track. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“We could see that we were building something worthwhile, for our client and society,” says Eller. “Everyone felt a sense of urgency, but not stress, and we were able to be really productive every day.” One thing is clear: speed and agility have become the new normal at Kilterset. The pandemic fast-tracked this new methodology, and the team looks forward to continuing to practice it well after the crisis is over.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLearn more about this project by reading their client’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352551720301426\"\u003earticle in the Journal of Practical Laboratory Medicine\u003c/a\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e\n","published_at":"2020-12-09T01:56:00.000Z","permalink":"https://blog.heroku.com/coding-at-the-speed-of-a-pandemic","tags":["health","covid","testing"],"summary":"Learn how the Kilterset team used their Express methodology to incrementally deliver critical quality assurance apps."},{"title":"Celebrating 25 Years of JavaScript","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://heroku-blog-files.s3.amazonaws.com/posts/1606962238-heroku-blog.png\" alt=\"25 years of JavaScript\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJavaScript turns 25 years old today. While it’s made an impact on my career as a developer, it has also impacted many developers like me and users around the world. To commemorate our favorite language, we’ve collected 25 landmark events that have shaped the path of what the JavaScript ecosystem looks like today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='1995' href='#1995'\u003e1995\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='1-javascript-is-created' href='#1-javascript-is-created'\u003e1) JavaScript is created\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1995, Brendan Eich, a developer at Netscape, known for their Netscape browser, was tasked with building a client-side scripting language that paired well with Java. While it may not be the language that you know and love today, JavaScript was written in 10 days with features we still use today, such as first-class functions. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='1997' href='#1997'\u003e1997\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2-ecmascript-is-released' href='#2-ecmascript-is-released'\u003e2) ECMAScript is released\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite JavaScript being created 2 years before, there was a need to create open standards for the language if it would be used across multiple browser types. In 1997, Netscape and Microsoft came together under Ecma International to form the first standardization of the JavaScript language, resulting in the first iteration of ECMAScript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='1999' href='#1999'\u003e1999\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='3-internet-explorer-gets-an-early-xmlhttp-object' href='#3-internet-explorer-gets-an-early-xmlhttp-object'\u003e3) Internet Explorer gets an early XMLHTTP Object\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome will recall using \u003ccode\u003eiframe\u003c/code\u003e tags in the browser to avoid reloading a user’s page with a new request. In March of 1999, Internet Explorer 5.0 is shipped with \u003ccode\u003eXMLHTTP\u003c/code\u003e, a browser API that could enable developers to take advantage of background requests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2001' href='#2001'\u003e2001\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='4-javascript-gets-its-own-data-format' href='#4-javascript-gets-its-own-data-format'\u003e4) JavaScript gets its own data format\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2001, JSON was first introduced via \u003ca href=\"https://www.json.org/json-en.html/\"\u003ejson.org\u003c/a\u003e. In 2006, an RFC proposing JSON, JavaScript Object Notation, was opened for review with the proposal of more than one type of HTTP call to fulfill a website: one that would fulfill a browser’s needs and the other would provide application state. Thanks to its simplicity, JSON would gain traction as the standard and continues to be used today. (\u003ca href=\"https://ecma-international.org/wp-content/uploads/ECMA-404_2nd_edition_december_2017.pdf\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2005' href='#2005'\u003e2005\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='5-shifts-towards-ajax' href='#5-shifts-towards-ajax'\u003e5) Shifts towards AJAX\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter other browsers followed Internet Explorer in supporting background requests for updating clients without reloading pages, a researcher penned the term as Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, or AJAX, highlighting the shift in web development and JavaScript to asynchronous code. (\u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20150910072359/http://adaptivepath.org/ideas/ajax-new-approach-web-applications/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2006' href='#2006'\u003e2006\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='6-first-publicly-released-developer-tools' href='#6-first-publicly-released-developer-tools'\u003e6) First publicly released Developer Tools\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith more complexity being enabled in the browser, there was a need for tooling to keep up. Firebug was created in 2005 as the first Developer Tool to debug in Mozilla’s Firefox browser. It was the first piece of tooling that provided developers the ability to inspect and debug directly from the browser. (\u003ca href=\"https://hacks.mozilla.org/2017/10/saying-goodbye-to-firebug/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='7-jquery-is-released' href='#7-jquery-is-released'\u003e7) jQuery is released\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ejQuery can be considered the pioneer of what we know today as modern front-end web development, and it has gone to influence many libraries and frameworks today. At its height, being a JavaScript developer and being a jQuery developer were interchangeable. The library extends the JavaScript language to easily create single-page applications with DOM-traversal, event handling, and more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2008' href='#2008'\u003e2008\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='8-creation-of-v8' href='#8-creation-of-v8'\u003e8) Creation of V8\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs websites went from HTML pages to JavaScript applications, it was imperative that the browsers hosting these applications keep up. From 2007 to 2010, many browsers made major releases to keep up with the growing demand from JavaScript compute power. When Chrome was released, the browser’s JavaScript engine, V8, was released as a separate project. V8 was a landmark project with Its “just-in-time” compiler and would be used in future projects as a reliable and fast JavaScript runtime. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='9-the-first-native-developer-tools' href='#9-the-first-native-developer-tools'\u003e9) The first native Developer Tools\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the release of V8, Chrome introduced developers to another innovation: Developer Tools that are native to the browser. At the time, features only included element inspection and looking at resources, but the tool was an upgrade from the current tooling and would influence an entire suite of developer tools for front-end development. (\u003ca href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20080923064954/http://blogs.computerworld.com/three_hidden_chrome_features_youll_love\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2009' href='#2009'\u003e2009\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='10-commonjs-moves-to-standardize-modules' href='#10-commonjs-moves-to-standardize-modules'\u003e10) CommonJS moves to standardize modules\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn an effort to modularize JavaScript code and take code bases from single file scripts to multi-file source code, the CommonJS project was an effort to elevate JavaScript into language for application development. CommonJS modules would influence the Node.js module system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='11-node-js-takes-javascript-to-the-back-end' href='#11-node-js-takes-javascript-to-the-back-end'\u003e11) Node.js takes JavaScript to the back-end\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJavaScript had gained momentum as a language for the browser for many years before making its way to the back-end. In 2009, an engineer at Joyent, Ryan Dahl, introduced Node.js, an asynchronous event-driven JavaScript runtime at JSConf EU.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='12-coffeescript-sprinkles-syntactic-sugar' href='#12-coffeescript-sprinkles-syntactic-sugar'\u003e12) CoffeeScript sprinkles syntactic sugar\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLong before types were popularized in JavaScript, there was CoffeeScript, a programming language that compiles to JavaScript and was inspired by Ruby, Python and Haskell. The compiler was originally written in Ruby and didn’t require compatibility from dependencies because it compiled to JavaScript, and it gained traction for exposing the good parts of JavaScript in a simple way. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2010' href='#2010'\u003e2010\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='13-node-js-gets-its-first-package-manager' href='#13-node-js-gets-its-first-package-manager'\u003e13) Node.js gets its first package manager\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShortly after Node.js was introduced, npm was created. npm (short for Node package manager) would eventually create the standard in managing dependencies for both front-end and back-end applications making it easier to publish, install, and manage shared source code with a project file, the package.json. npm also provided the npm registry, which would supply hundreds of thousands of applications a database to retrieve Node.js dependencies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='14-express-has-it-s-initial-release' href='#14-express-has-it-s-initial-release'\u003e14) Express has it’s initial release\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by Ruby’s Sinatra, Express.js was released in 2010. It was released with the intention of being a minimal, un-opinionated web framework that provided routing, middleware, and other HTTP utilities. According to GitHub, Express remains the most popular framework for back-end JavaScript developers to date.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='15-modern-javascript-mvc-frameworks-are-born' href='#15-modern-javascript-mvc-frameworks-are-born'\u003e15) Modern JavaScript MVC frameworks are born\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile back-end JavaScript was gaining traction, front-end MVC frameworks were starting to pop up. Most notably, Backbone.js and AngularJS (later rewritten and released as Angular) were starting to be adopted and loved by JavaScript developers. Backbone’s approach to front-end was well-suited for mirroring an application’s business logic, while Angular took a declarative approach that enables a robust web application in the browser. Both frameworks would go on to influence later front-end libraries and frameworks, such as React, Ember.js, and Vue.js.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2011' href='#2011'\u003e2011\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='16-ember-js-stresses-convention-over-configuration' href='#16-ember-js-stresses-convention-over-configuration'\u003e16) Ember.js stresses convention over configuration\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2011, a forked version of an earlier project called SproutCore, is renamed to Ember.js. Ember introduces JavaScript developers the concept of convention over configuration, in which the developer does not have to think about design decisions that can be standardized across code bases.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2012' href='#2012'\u003e2012\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='17-static-types-are-introduced-to-javascript-developers' href='#17-static-types-are-introduced-to-javascript-developers'\u003e17) Static types are introduced to JavaScript developers\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2012 was a big year for static typed languages. JavaScript was, until then, a dynamically typed language by design, in that it doesn’t require the developer to declare types when initializing variables or other data structures. Enter TypeScript - an extension of JavaScript that allows developers to write typed JavaScript that is syntactically similar to JavaScript and compiles to JavaScript. Microsoft made the initial release of the project in October of 2012.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2013' href='#2013'\u003e2013\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='18-the-world-reacts-to-react' href='#18-the-world-reacts-to-react'\u003e18) The world reacts to React\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2013, a developer at Facebook, Jordan Walke, presents a new JavaScript library that does not follow the then-popular MVC convention of JS frameworks. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW0rj4sNH2w\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e) React, a component-based library that was simply the V of MVC, would go on to become one of the most popular libraries of today. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='19-electron-puts-node-js-into-desktop-applications' href='#19-electron-puts-node-js-into-desktop-applications'\u003e19) Electron puts Node.js into desktop applications\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, with the rising popularity of Node.js, there was momentum to repurpose the runtime or other uses. GitHub made use of Node.js as a library with Chromium’s rendering engine and created Electron for desktop applications. Notable desktop applications that use Electron include GitHub Desktop, Slack, and Visual Studio Code.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2015' href='#2015'\u003e2015\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='20-release-of-es2015-es6' href='#20-release-of-es2015-es6'\u003e20) Release of ES2015/ES6\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 6th edition of ECMAScript was released in June of 2015. This specification was anticipated by many JavaScript developers for its inclusion of popular features such as support for export and import of modules (ES modules), declaring constants, and more. (\u003ca href=\"http://es6-features.org/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e) While the previous version of ECMAScript (ES5) had been released 6 years before, much of the standards released had been worked on since ES3, which was released 16 years before. (\u003ca href=\"https://262.ecma-international.org/6.0/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='21-graphql-emerges-as-a-rest-alternative' href='#21-graphql-emerges-as-a-rest-alternative'\u003e21) GraphQL emerges as a REST alternative\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2015, Facebook released GraphQL as an open source project, a querying language for APIs that simplifies request calls between clients and servers to resolve the differences between server-side data schemas and client-side data needs. (\u003ca href=\"https://engineering.fb.com/2015/09/14/core-infra/graphql-a-data-query-language/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e) Due to its popularity, the project would eventually be moved to its own GraphQL Foundation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='22-node-v4-is-released' href='#22-node-v4-is-released'\u003e22) Node v4 is released\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2015 was notable for back-end JavaScript developers because it marked the merging of io.js back into Node.js. Just a year before, Node was forked as io.js in an effort adapt quicker release cycles. When io.js was merged back in, it had already released v3, so it was natural to release Node v4 after the merge as a fresh start for the combined projects. Hereafter, Node would adapt a release cycle that would keep it up to date with the latest V8 releases.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2016' href='#2016'\u003e2016\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='23-javascript-developers-are-introduced-to-lock-files' href='#23-javascript-developers-are-introduced-to-lock-files'\u003e23) JavaScript developers are introduced to lock files\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the months following an infamous “left-pad” incident (\u003ca href=\"https://blog.npmjs.org/post/141577284765/kik-left-pad-and-npm\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e), Yarn was released to the JavaScript ecosystem. Yarn was created out of need for more consistency across machines and offline environments running the same JavaScript applications. Yarn introduced the autogenerated lockfile to the JavaScript ecosystem, which would influence package managers to look at developer experience differently moving forward. (\u003ca href=\"https://engineering.fb.com/2016/10/11/web/yarn-a-new-package-manager-for-javascript/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2019' href='#2019'\u003e2019\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='24-node-js-openjs' href='#24-node-js-openjs'\u003e24) Node + JS = OpenJS\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter years of the JS Foundation and Node.js Foundation operating separately, the two organizations merge and become the OpenJS Foundation with goals to increase collaboration and provide a united home for projects across the JavaScript ecosystem. (\u003ca href=\"https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/press-release/node-js-foundation-and-js-foundation-announce-intent-to-create-joint-organization-to-support-the-broad-node-js-and-javascript-communities/\"\u003eSource\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='2020' href='#2020'\u003e2020\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='25-deno-makes-a-splash-with-the-initial-release' href='#25-deno-makes-a-splash-with-the-initial-release'\u003e25) Deno makes a splash with the initial release\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h4\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis year, Node.js creator, Ryan Dahl, made the initial release of Deno, a JavaScript and TypeScript engine that, again, is built on top of V8. The project has generated a lot of interest because of its first-class TypeScript support and, of course, inspiration taken from Node.js.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile these landmarks highlight some exciting moments in JavaScript history, there are countless other honorable mentions and important contributions too. The JavaScript ecosystem would not be where it was without the hard work to of developers around the world today. Every pull request, conference talk, and blog post has inspired the next innovation. For that, we thank all of you for your contributions and look forward to the bright future of JavaScript.\u003c/p\u003e\n","published_at":"2020-12-04T15:57:00.000Z","permalink":"https://blog.heroku.com/celebrating-25-years-of-javascript","tags":["nodejs","npm","yarn","javascript","typescript"],"summary":"Today is JavaScript’s 25th birthday! To commemorate, we’ve highlighted 25 of our favorite landmarks that have made the ecosystem what it is today."},{"title":"When Serendipity Strikes: How One Engineer Turned His First Coding Gig into a Decade-Plus Career","content":"\u003cp\u003eFor many of us, changing jobs seems like the best way to grow professionally or advance our careers. Not so for \u003ca href=\"https://github.com/EddM\"\u003eEdd Morgan\u003c/a\u003e, Senior Director of Engineering at \u003ca href=\"https://www.biggerpockets.com/\"\u003eBiggerPockets\u003c/a\u003e. During his first year in college, he became the startup’s first employee. Twelve years later, Edd reflects on his unusually stable career path and how he’s helped to grow the company into a thriving business with two million users. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='it-all-started-with-a-part-time-job' href='#it-all-started-with-a-part-time-job'\u003eIt all started with a part-time job\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2008, Edd began studying computer science at the University of Bournemouth in the U.K. Like many college students, he needed to find a way to make money for rent and living expenses. Edd came across a job posting from a startup that needed some programming help, and he thought, “Why not apply?” He says, “It seemed cool to be paid for doing this thing that I was doing all the time as a hobby, which is programming and making websites.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBack then, he didn’t consider this decision to be a first step on a formal career path. It was only to be a short-term, convenient solution to pay the bills while in school. Little did he know that the job would offer Edd so much more. “It’s kind of funny, and surprising, that I got my ‘life job’ before I even left college.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-early-days-at-biggerpockets' href='#the-early-days-at-biggerpockets'\u003eThe early days at BiggerPockets\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2004, Josh Dorkin wanted to get into real estate investing, but he quickly found that the industry was fraught with scams and “get rich quick” schemes. He couldn’t find a good source of reliable information anywhere, so he did what entrepreneurs do: he started his own thing. BiggerPockets launched as a simple community forum for people to share their real estate investment knowledge and experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the time Edd joined, BiggerPockets had grown to serve a couple of thousand users. Josh needed help with taking the site to the next level — from forum posting to a more interactive, integrated experience that could also be monetized. At that time, Facebook had taken the world by storm, and social networks had become the new way to build community. Josh envisioned that the expanded BiggerPockets platform would allow investors to build friendships and network with each other, as well as access the lenders, agents, and other services needed to make a successful deal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJosh and Edd got started on this vision from different sides of the planet. As Josh was in Colorado, and Edd in the U.K., they would open up a Skype call and just work side by side for eight hours, mostly in silence, to simulate a shared office space. Edd says, “I didn’t meet Josh face-to-face until about five years ago, which is pretty crazy.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEdd continued as the only engineer at BiggerPockets for the first few years. At a certain point in the company’s growth, it was time to also grow the team. “We found our first engineer in the same way Josh found me,” says Edd, “And he stuck around for a very long time. We wanted to find people that we could get along with since we’d be working together so closely.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='from-employee-number-one-to-head-of-engineering' href='#from-employee-number-one-to-head-of-engineering'\u003eFrom employee number one to head of engineering\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward a few more years, and today, Edd leads a team of 13 engineers. His own career trajectory has come as a bit of a surprise to him. “When I was younger, I never saw myself becoming a director of anything. But by staying at the company for so long, it’s forced me into a leadership role that I have gladly embraced. I feel lucky to have learned so much in this role.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost engineers are located at the company’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado, but a few are remote like Edd. Typically, he travels to Denver every quarter to get some face time with his team, but the global pandemic has made that difficult this year. So, Edd and team have had to get creative with maintaining the team’s culture. One of their first experiments was to schedule “water cooler time” over Zoom, however it felt too much like forced social interaction. Adding a purpose to the gathering made all the difference. Now, the team meets regularly to discuss a particular problem or to do some group coding together, and the socializing in between feels more natural. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='many-important-lessons-learned-along-the-way' href='#many-important-lessons-learned-along-the-way'\u003eMany important lessons learned along the way\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLearning on the job can bring both pitfalls and opportunities. “We’re still dealing with the consequences of some decisions I made ten years ago,” Edd says. “There are definitely a lot of things that I would say to a much younger me.” Some of those lessons have come out the fire of experience and others from industry thought leaders:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA team is a network of brains.\u003c/strong\u003e Going from one engineer to a team of many requires a shift in mindset. The problems are no longer purely technical; organizational and people problems arise as well. Edd refers to \u003ca href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-connected-network-brains-jean-michel-lemieux/id1509072609?i=1000489279417\"\u003eJean-Michel Lemieux\u003c/a\u003e, CTO of Shopify, who thinks of his engineering team as a network of brains. “As a leader, you want to optimize communication across that graph of brains, each with a million edges that could connect with others,” says Edd. “And it’s a hell of a lot harder than writing code.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLess is more.\u003c/strong\u003e To Edd’s younger self, every business challenge could be solved with the right code. He’d ask himself: “What software can I bring into the world to solve this problem?” However, that approach didn’t always take into account the full scope or nature of the problem. Now, Edd tries to “get out of his own way” and focus on the bigger picture. “I say ‘no’ to more things and try to work out what’s the best direction for the product. And that’s not always about writing more code.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct management is a thing.\u003c/strong\u003e As Edd began to focus more on the product, he had to make decisions that straddled both product management and engineering management. It wasn’t until the company began hiring dedicated product managers that he fully understood the role. “It is a different way of thinking: why are we writing this code? Why work on this and not something else? Those questions were always in the back of my head, but I didn’t act on them in the early years.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInnovation is expensive.\u003c/strong\u003e Part of saying “no” to more things is the realization that time and resources are limited — and precious. Edd is inspired by \u003ca href=\"https://mcfunley.com/choose-boring-technology\"\u003eDan McKinley\u003c/a\u003e, who introduced the concept of “innovation tokens” as engineering currency. Every company has a set amount of tokens which can be spent in any way. “We have to be very intentional and spend our tokens wisely, so we’re always focusing on the right things. In the early days, we spent them like crazy and probably went into innovation token debt!”\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, product discovery is a requirement at BiggerPockets before significant time or energy goes into something new. The team leverages zero code solutions, like user feedback and data, to help them make decisions, rather than relying purely on assumptions. “In this way, we’ve become less of a stakeholder-driven company, and more of a product-driven, or even customer-driven, company.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-day-the-database-crashed' href='#the-day-the-database-crashed'\u003eThe day the database crashed\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first six years, BiggerPockets managed its own infrastructure that was located at a data center in California. One day, Josh called to report that the site was down. Edd looked into it, called the data center, and found that the database server had crashed due to a failure in one of the RAID controllers. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prognosis was bad. “They told us: ‘You’d better have some backups.’ Then, I realized that our most recent backup was six months old.” It was the most stressful day of his career. “We had three engineers at the time, and it wasn’t anyone’s official responsibility to do all those backups because we did not see ourselves as an infrastructure engineering company. We’re a product engineering company, and we didn’t know it until this happened.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='new-lessons-learned-on-heroku' href='#new-lessons-learned-on-heroku'\u003eNew lessons learned on Heroku\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLuck was on their side, and the data center was able to recover the data (after a full 12 hours of downtime). But this was a major wake up call, and Edd was determined to not let it happen again. BiggerPockets is primarily a Rails app, and Edd understood that Heroku was the best \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/ruby\"\u003eplatform for running Ruby\u003c/a\u003e apps. The team decided to spin up a copy of the app on Heroku, with data living in \u003ca href=\"https://www.heroku.com/postgres\"\u003eHeroku Postgres\u003c/a\u003e, to see how it worked. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey tested the two apps in parallel for a couple of days, and the Heroku app performed flawlessly, so they moved the domains over. “It was a very smooth process, and we haven’t looked back since.” Now, Edd and team can leave the infrastructure worries behind them and truly focus on being a product engineering company.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='anchored'\u003e\n  \u003ca name='the-road-ahead-to-2021-and-beyond' href='#the-road-ahead-to-2021-and-beyond'\u003eThe road ahead to 2021 and beyond\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor lots of businesses, the global pandemic and recession in 2020 made it a tough and confusing year to navigate. But the BiggerPockets team are excited to come out of it with a greater sense of purpose and direction. They’ve even begun \u003ca href=\"https://www.biggerpockets.com/careers\"\u003ehiring\u003c/a\u003e again, opening a front-end engineer role to help them with plans for mobile apps in 2021.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Edd thinks about his own career path over the next five years, two things come to mind. First, he wants to grow the team so that this thing that he\u0026#39;s been working for so long can reach its full potential. Edd looks forward to expanding the platform with new capabilities, such as big data and analytics, that can help customers make even better investment decisions. \u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSecondly, as his team builds exciting new features, Edd wants to be coding along with them. In between his management duties, he still writes code on a weekly basis and actually sits on one of the project teams. “I never want to lose touch with actually building stuff, because that\u0026#39;s why me (and lots of other nerds) get into this industry. There are companies larger than us where the CTO writes code. It doesn\u0026#39;t prohibit you being hands on in a leadership role, and I think in some cases it should be mandatory.”\u003c/p\u003e\n","published_at":"2020-12-04T01:57:00.000Z","permalink":"https://blog.heroku.com/when-serendipity-strikes-engineering-career","tags":["Leadership","career"],"summary":"Learn how Edd Morgan went from employee #1 at BiggerPockets to leading and growing the company’s engineering organization."}]