From bd95665b413d007c7452525eee75f5c803223fac Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Wirzenius Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2018 17:47:55 +0200 Subject: Add: newhardware chapter --- index.mdwn | 3 + newhardware.mdwn | 520 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 523 insertions(+) create mode 100644 newhardware.mdwn diff --git a/index.mdwn b/index.mdwn index 242238f..b112f0b 100644 --- a/index.mdwn +++ b/index.mdwn @@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ There may be contradictions. Retconning in the future is possible. * [[Negotiation]] * [[Development setup phase|devsetup]] * [[First conflict with SmartHome|conflict]] +* [[New hardware platform|newhardware]] * to be continued # Change log @@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ For exact details, look at [git][]. * 2017-03-21: Typo fixes from Pete F +* 2018-03-07: Added chapter four ([[newhardware]]). + [git]: http://git.liw.fi/cgi-bin/cgit/cgit.cgi/noir.liw.fi/ # Patreon diff --git a/newhardware.mdwn b/newhardware.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9fef632 --- /dev/null +++ b/newhardware.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,520 @@ +# New hardware platform + +"What the RUDE WORD, RUDE WORD, RUDE WORD is this?" Anna sits at her +desk, one hand one her mouse, speaking loudly. "ROOOBBIIIINN! Come +heeeereee!" In a minute Robin shuffles in through Anna's doorway. +"What's wrong? You're upsetting the whole office with your screaming." +Anna almost never raises her voice. When she does, it's upsetting to +those who know her. + +"I just got an email from Sam. They're changing the hardware +platform." Robin raises one eyebrow. She realises at once what this +may mean. "Does he say why?" + +Anna shakes her head. "Not really. He says, and I quote, 'To align our +customer-facing deliverables with global leaders in leveraging +technology we proactively synchronise our product schedules with Arm +release road maps.' What a pile of RUDE WORD marketing RUDE WORD." + +Robin sighs deeply, then slumps down in a chair. "Does he realise that +our project will have to restart from scratch? That all the work done +so far is useless? That there's no chance of meeting any agreed +deadlines now?" + +Anna grimaces. "Of course he doesn't. If they actually do this, it may +mean we lose the project." Robin nods. "And that means we're in a +trash compactor, the walls a moving inward, and something just touched +my leg. We were already desperate when we landed this project." + +Anna nods. "Exactly. I better meet with Sam to try to stop this." She +buries her face in her hands. She sobs once. "I don't know, sometimes +it's just feels like too much. Clients seem to always try to shoot a +project in the head, just when things start moving along well." + +Robin shifts uneasily in her chair, then gets up and stands next to +Anna, and gathers her into a hug. Robin smiles uncertainly. "There, +there, it'll be all right. We'll get through this in some say." + +Robin chuckles. "Anyway, they're not shooting the project in the head. +They're sawing off their own leg. With a blunt axe. Which is rusty." +Anna barks a short laugh, and indicates she needs to get out of the +hug. She takes a deep, deep breath, and shrugs. "Sorry. I was feeling +overwhelmed for a moment. Better now. Thanks." Robin goes to the +doorway. "I'll go make us tea, so we can have a calm discussion about +this, and decide what to do." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Robin says on IRC. "Everyone: sitrep and planning, kitchen, 5 mins. +Drop everything you're doing." + +Anna is in the kitchen, with her laptop and five steaming mugs of tea. +Everyone in the Team has their own, favourite mug, labelled by their +name and preference as far as tea, sugar, and milk. Anna takes a sip +of hers. It says "Anna, Russian Caravan, full-fat milk, no sugar", and +has a picture of Snufkin from Moomin, sitting on a river bank with his +fishing rod. The mugs had originally been bought a few years ago, when +the Team was set up. When new team members had joined, new mugs had +been made. + +Over the new few minutes, team members were coming in, taking their +mug, and sitting down, until only Nina was missing. Robin puts her mug +down ("Robin, Lapsang, skimmed milk, sugar, picture of Lara Croft"), and goes +knock on the door of Nina's lab. "Excuse me, Nina, we're having a +meeting and we need you." Nina and Nick look up from the bench, where +they've been debugging something together. Robin nods at him. "Nick, +I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We're going to +discuss something sensitive, and it would be awkward to have you +present. Sorry." + +Nick stands up, and nods. "I understand. Is it OK if I come back +tomorrow?" Robin smiles. What a polite young man. "I'm sure it it will +be, but check with Nina in the morning, OK" + +Robin and Nina go to the kitchen, take their mugs ("Nina, any tea, no +milk, no sugar, picture of a 555 timer IC"), and sit down. Anna stands +up and starts speaking. "I'm afraid there's a bit of bad news. +SmartHome have just let us know they want to update their hardware +platform. I called this meeting to tell you that and for us to discuss +the situation together." + +The the room is filled with a cacophony. Anna lets it continue for a +moment, then raises her hand. The room quiets instantly. An outsider +might mistake it for military discipline, but it's a habit borne from +collaborating with the same equals for a long time, and from respect +of the role Anna has as mediator. "I have a couple of questions I need +to have answers to. First, this is a big enough change that it lets us +cancel the contract without a notice period, but still get paid for +what we've done so far. Do we want to do that?" + +Robin raises her hand. "I'd like to keep the contract, if we can talk +them into keeping the old hardware platform." She drops her hand. Andy +and Bert look at each other, nodding. Berg raises his hand. "Andy and +I agree. We've put in a lot of effort into the old platform already, +would be a shame to let that go to waste." Andy keeps his hands on the +table, but raises his index finger. "We can start on a new platform, +but if they haven't got the hardware working yet, it seems like an +impossible project." + +Nina nods, but keeps quiet. Robin makes a short wave. "That's a good +point. Anna, do you know what the status of their proposed new +hardware platform is?" Anna shakes her head. "Sam wasn't explicit +about that, but my impression is that they're only about to start +designing it. It's not ready for us to port to." Robin grimaces, but +Andy speaks, without indicating he wants a turn. "Erm, really? In that +case, I don't think we can wait for that." + +Anna stands up. "I think we agree. We can't continue on this contract, +if they change the hardware platform. It would delay all user land +software progress too much. It would probably mean we run out of money +before this contract is paid. Frankly, I would expect SmartHome to go +bankrupt before they get the new platform working." + +Anna shrugs. "My other question is, do we try to talk them into not +upgrading their hardware platform, or do we look for a new client?" + +Another cacophony. Robin raises her hand, and everyone goes quiet and +looks at her. "I'd like to keep them, if possible, I see a possibility +for a long, mutually profitable relationship, if we can both survive +the current project." There are murmured agreements and nodding. + +Anna takes a deep breath. "Thank you, looks like we have a consensus. +I'm sorry we're in this situation, but it's something we've seen +before. The client thinks they're being smart, but are actually just +running really fast carrying a naked blade pointed at their heart. +Everything looks like it's going well, until they stumble and they +experience a sudden, painful stop." + +Nina raises her hand to her shoulder. "What do we do now?" + +Anna looks at her, then around the room, into the eyes of each of her +co-workers. "We continue work on the old platform, and I go talk to +Sam face to face and try to talk sense to him. I'll probably be back +later today, and then we'll see. If it drags on, I'll let you all +know." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +In the afternoon, after Anna has returned from a long lunch with Sam, +she visits Robin's office, and sits down. "I think we're OK. I talked +Sam out of doing a hardware refresh now. They'll do it for the next +generation instead." + +"Well done, Anna! Was it a difficult discussion?" + +Anna shrugs. She isn't smiling, but doesn't look distraught either. +"It wasn't easy. He was really enthusiastic about using the new 64-bit +Arm architecture. But he believed me in the end when I told him he +couldn't have our platform and new hardware in the same product +iteration." + +"Good. Meanwhile, Andy and Bert had a really productive day today. We +have our platform working on the SmartHome hardware now, at least +enough to start getting SmartHome to port over their applications. +There was cake after all the system tests passed the first time. You +missed that, but we saved you a slice the fridge. It's your favourite, +death by chocolate." + +Anna grins. The Team is not shy to celebrate its achievements. +"Excellent news. And if we pull off the current, now-saved project, we +may get SmartHome to hire us to update our platform to their new +hardware version, too." + +Anna pushes herself up by pushing with her palms on her knees. "But +now I'm exhausted. I'm going home early. I need a relaxing evening, +after today. Maybe a sauna. Might call Russ and see if he wants to +have dinner." + +Robin looks surprised. "Russ? Are you seeing him again?" + +Anna shakes her head quickly. "No, no, not like that. I just ran into +him the other evening, and we had a few beers. It was nice, but I'm +getting involved with him again." + +"Good. I mean, it's not like he's a bad egg, but he could maybe mature +a bit." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Anna comes in late the following morning. Robin pokes her head out of +her office. "Hi Anna! Get a cup of tea before you open your email." + +Anna stops in the middle of taking off her coat. "Oh? Clearly +something bad has happened. What's up?" + +Robin is determined and shakes her head. "Tea first. We'll discuss +when you have a cuppa." + +Anna finds an almost full pot of tea in the kitchen, and ambles into +Robin's room with a steaming mug in her hand. She sits down. "So, +what's up?" + +"Sam's sent an email, cc'd to me, asking for an all-hands meeting with +us and their developers and management, to discuss the new hardware +platform. It seems Sam's bosses were not swayed so easily." Robin +shrugs a little. "They want it tomorrow. They'll arrange a place, we +just need to show up." + +Anna grimaces. "I should've known it was too easy. Clients never +want to hear they're wrong. What do you think about this?" + +Robin grimaces too. "I don't think we can avoid it, even if it costs +us a full work day and possibly a client. We'll have to go." + +A nod, and another grimace. "I'll go read the email, but I think +you're right. We'll spend today preparing for any arguments they may +have for a platform refresh now. I think that'll be what you and I do +today. Do you have the time?" + +"I was meant to draft a plan to get SmartHome devs to start porting +their software to our platform, but that'll have to wait. I'll notify +them." + +"Good. Well, not good, but you know what I mean. We'll gather our +people in the afternoon and go over the arguments. Have you told them +yet?" + +"Nope, I wanted to wait until we decide to go." + +"OK. I'll notify our people today. And tell Sam and his bosses that +we're coming. Is 15:00 a good time to gather everyone?" + +"Should be. RUDE WORD I don't like this, but needs must." + +Anna nods, gets up, and goes to her own office. After a deep breath +she opens up her email, reads for a while, and sends out a couple of +emails. One to the Team, explaining the situation, and another to +SmartHome asking where and when. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +The assembles at the office. It's 8 in the morning, and for most of +them this is unusually early. Anna arrives with a car, the team piles +in, and they go to the SmartHome office. + +They arrive, get out of the car, and walk in an organised formation +into SmartHome HQ and the large meeting room they've visited before. +The SmartHome CEO, Lasse, and other members of top management are +already there, as well as Sam, and several senior developers. + +The CEO stands up. He's dressed in a navy blue suite, with a red tie. +In his late 50s, somewhat stout but not fat, looking serious, but +calm, he coughs to get everyone's attention. "Welcome, everyone, I +apologise for the abrupt meeting, but we need to resolve this issue of +refreshing the new hardware platform sooner rather than later." He +looks at Andy. "I understand that your team is objecting and raising +concerns about the new hardware. Is that correct?" + +Andy looks momentarily confused, and looks at Anna, who speaks. "I'm +Anna Carter. I speak for the Team." + +Now Lasse is a little uncertain, looking back and forth between Andy, +Anna, and Sam. He recovers quickly. "Very well. Is it correct?" + +"We're concerned about the impact of a hardware refresh on the time +table of the project. We think the refresh is OK." + +"How magnanimous of you. I'm not used to hired help giving me +permission to make strategic changes. Especially not women." + +Anna's jaw drops open, and she just stares. The room goes quiet. +SmartHome developers look at the table in front of them, visibly not +squirming or doing anything to call attention to them. The Team +members take a deep breath, let their shoulders sag, and look at Anna +and Robin. + +Robin stands up. She looks around the room. Those who know her, can +see she's angry from the say her lips form a thin straight line. "Sir, +if you hire experts and ignore what they say, you are an imbecile. In +the current situation, your choices are to go bankrupt or to let us +help your developers save your company. It seems you want to go +bankrupt and make every one of your employees lose their job, while +you can just retire early. Very well, we don't wish to work for you. +Have a good day." + +She pushes her chair back and steps away from the table. Sam puts his +hand on Lasse's arm, and whisper urgently in his ear. Robin reaches +the conference room door, puts her hand on the handle, and looks back. +The rest of the Team have quietly also stood up and are forming a +queue behind Robin. Anna is red her face, and her hands are shaking. + +The Team goes out of the door. Sam follows them. "Please wait." + +Anna turns to him. She's so angry she stutters. "Y-you.. w-wait? Why +w-would we wait." + +Robin puts a calming hand on Anna's shoulder. "Sam, you must +understand that what just happened was humiliating and infuriating, +and cannot be tolerated." + +"Yes, you're absolutely right. What Lasse said is unacceptable. But I +think I can talk sense to him, and talk him down off his high horse, +and let us save the company. Because I now understand that what you +said is right." + +Nina shouts and walks towards him. "NO!" Sam takes a step back. Nina +pokes her finger in the middle Sam's chest to emphasise her syllables. +"It's not RUDE WORD enough to talk to RUDE WORD Lasse. He's old enough +to know better. Old RUDE WORD sexist stick in the muds like him are +NOT RUDE WORD ALLOWED to have power over us. We WILL RUDE WORD NOT +WORK FOR HIM." + +Sam takes a couple of steps back. Hurricane Nina is taking him by +surprise. + +Nick comes out from the conference room. "Nina, are you OK? You're +being very loud." + +Robin steps forward, and turns Nina by the shoulders. "Nina, you're +absolutely right. We all agree on that. But let's take this to our +office and discuss this amongst ourselves. We need to process this. +It's a bad day." She looks at Sam. "We'll be sending our final invoice +today." + +Anna pipes in. "It's clause 42, section 3. In the event of the +customer changing the parameters of the project in the middle of the +project in ways that make it difficult to finish on schedule, the Team +can abort and is owed for work already done. You better not try to +squirm yourself out of it." + +As if by remote control, the Team all turn towards the exit, and march +out. + +Sam and Nick stand still and look at the departing group. The +exit doors closes, with the soft thump and click of its automatic +mechanism. They continue to stand still for a moment. Finally, Nick +speaks. "I guess we need to back inside. But I really don't want to." + +Sam's shoulders droop. He looks back at the conference door. Then at +the exit door. "I have to go back inside. You can have a family +medical emergency if you like." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +The Team drive back to their office in silence. They gather in the +kitchen. Robin makes a pot of tea. The silence continues while the tea +is brewing. Bert takes out everyone's mug and puts them in a row on +the kitchen table, and takes out two kinds of milk from the fridge, +and three kinds of sweetener (sugar, artificial, honey). Robin pours +tea. Bert adds milk and sweetener of choice to each mug. Everyone +takes their mug. + +Anna takes a sip. "Well, that was exciting. I think we should process +what happened together, rather than going home and let everyone +marinate in solitude." + +Nina shakes her head. "I can't believe he said that. I can't believe I +said that to Sam." + +Andy puts his mug on the table in front of himself. "One reads about +people like Lasse, but one never expects to meet them. It was like +meeting a villain from a movie. And Nina, I think you said what we all +felt." + +Robin sits hunched, holding her cup with both hands. "Frankly, this +wasn't a huge surprise to me. There were signs. But I think we did the +the only thing we could do. We shouldn't feel bad about it. Not about +taking them on as a client, or for quitting today." + +Anna nods. "Yes, I agree. We should feel good for standing up against +bad behaviour. The only thing we should worry about now is what we'll +do next, in terms of a new client." + +Robin shakes her head. "It's important that we find a new client, but +can we not worry about that today. I think we need to recover from +today's events first." + +Anna nods again. "I guess you're right. What can we do to get over +this?" + +Bert puts down his mug. "I find that when I've had a bit of a shock, +eating something helps. We could have lunch together." + +"A great idea." Robin smiles. "We could order pizza for everyone. +Anna?" + +"Yeah, let's do that. I'll order from my room. If everyone would +message me on IRC what kind they want, I'll place the order. The usual +place." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Pizza has arrived and been consumed. Many words have been said. Much +anger has been vented.. The Team is leaning back in their chairs, +momentarily content and silent. Anna's phone rings. She looks at it. + +"It's Sam. I should probably take this." She rises and goes to her +office. + +"Hi, Sam." + +"Hi, Anna. Are you guys all right?" + +"We're OK. How are you?" + +"Look, I wanted to call and ask if there's any chance we can patch +things up. I think I have the leverage to get Lasse to apologise and +get out of the way, even if he is the founder and the CEO." + +Anna takes a deep, audible sigh. "Look, Sam, I'll be honest. It's not +easy. Lasse burnt bridges today that are not easy to rebuild. We don't +trust SmartHome anymore, and we don't work with clients we don't +trust." + +"I see. Is there anything we could do to convince you to not break +with us?" + +"I don't know. I'd have to talk with the whole Team about it. How far +are you willing to go?" + +"Hmm. This is not an easy situation for anyone, right now. I'll take a +chance and be open about what's happening here. I hope you won't +spread it around. There's a bit of a civil war happening, and most of +us at SmartHome see that you guys are right and we either make a new, +better product with your help, or we are finished. Some of the older +guys in upper management are resisting, but the resistance is +crumbling." + +Anna is laconic and inexpressive. "OK." + +"I won't say you can demand anything you want, but I think you'd have +a strong bargaining position, if you were willing to bargain." + +"OK." + +"Are you willing to bargain? Please?" + +"I'll talk with my people. I don't know if they're willing. But just +in case they're willing, do you have time to visit our office today? I +have the feeling that if possible, this shouldn't be allowed to fester +overnight." + +"I can be there in fifteen minutes." + +"OK. We'll talk and I'll let you know if you should come." + +"Thanks." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +The Team has gathered in the kitchen again. A new round of tea has +been brewed and served. + +"Okay, so this is bit of an interesting development. Sam called. He +says that SmartHost is having a civil war and he wants to know what it +would take to bring us back, or least re-open negotiations with them. +Assuming his side wins. What do we think about that?" + +Nina raises her hand. "Will Lasse still be the CEO?" + +"I don't know. The situation is unclear. In any case, it might be too +much for us to ask for them to get rid of him entirely. He is the +founder, after all." + +Nina chuckles. "Shame, but I see your point. But at least I would +prefer him to not be involved in this project, or have any say in it." + +Robin raises her mug and sips. "Mmmm, I like how you think, +grasshopper. More realistically, I think we can and should insist that +they commit to a plan with us. The plan we've been working on all +along. And by commit, I mean they won't unilaterally change it on us. +They should also agree to a change management process with us." + +Nina looks at her with her eyebrows raised. "Change management +process? What fancy words you use, grandma." + +The room fills with chuckles and giggles. It's clear that a big ball +of tension has just unravelled. Anna grins. "Sounds like we're in +silent agreement, but I'd like to make it explicit. Everyone in favour +of re-opening discussions with SmartHome, or at least Sam's faction, +if we can agree on what we think are sensible ground rules, namely, +they stick to the current hardware platform, and let us guide the +software development. Who agrees?" + +Everyone raises their hand, except Robin. "Robin? Do you want to say +something?" + +"I was hesitant about taking them on as a client in the first place, +and only agreed to it because we need the money. My fears have been +realised. But given the ground rules as you outlined, and given that +we have the same need of money, I'm willing to try again." She raises +her hand. + +"Good, that makes us unanimous. I agree we need to treat them with +care. I'd like to invite Sam to our office today to discuss this and +explain our conditions. Everyone OK with that." + +This time, everyone raises their hand. + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +"Hi, Russ. Fancy dinner tonight?" Anna is in a good mood. Constructive +negotiations always made her satisfied, and especially so when they're +successful. "I've had a long, roller-coaster ride of a day and could +do with some good food and company." + +"Hi, Anna, yes, I'd love that. Is 19 at the Santa Fe restaurant OK?" + +"Perfect. I'll see you there." + +----------------------------------------------------------------------------- + +Nina sits in her lab, at the table, with her laptop, typing and +frowning. "Nickster, U OK? I hear u have crisis happening?" + +A few seconds pass, and the response shows in her chat window. "Hi, +Burn. I'm OK. Thanks for asking. Interesting times in the faux Chinese +curse sense." + +Nina types again. "I don't no if we work 2gether anymore, but wld like +to keep in touch." + +"I'd like that too. I like to talk tech with you." + +"Kewl. I like 2 talk tech with u 2. Also I like u dont hit on me." + +"Yeah, you said. I've never really been just friends with a girl +before. It's nice. Relaxing, even, to not have any romantic or erotic +tension." + +"U say such nice things. C u tomorrow?" -- cgit v1.2.1