We are here to provide clear and valuable information to decrease all the noise in this technical industry so you can feel confident in selecting your next development team.
Software often fails not because it’s poorly built, but because it was designed without thinking about the people who use it every day. At J Street Technology, we’ve seen systems that look impressive in a demo but create friction in real workflows.
For years, I carried around a belief that I wasn’t a “sales guy.” To me, that phrase conjured up images of someone pushy, insistent, and maybe even disingenuous. This was someone more focused on landing the deal rather than actually helping the person in front of them.
Most companies only realize the importance of the right software partner after they’ve had the wrong one. Maybe it was a project that ran way over budget for unclear reasons, a solo programmer who disappeared, or a developer who just didn’t get the assignment.
When people start looking for a custom software developer, the first things they usually consider are experience, industry knowledge, and technical skills. And while those are important, I’ve learned that there’s another factor that can make or break a project: communication.
You’ve probably heard the familiar sighs from colleagues when it’s time to pull the numbers for the next team meeting. There are three different spreadsheets, scattered metrics, and one person left to piece it all together.
We had a frustrating experience a few months ago in Valencia, Spain, where I was speaking at a conference. The morning after we arrived at our remote beachfront hotel, we thought we would take the bus into downtown Valencia. Since we had just arrived, I didn’t have any euros yet, so I went online and found an official Valencia Metro app where I could load money and use it to scan the bus fare.
Can you remember the first statistic you read that changed your perspective?
I’d like to think my kids experienced this the day I told them about a statistic I’m going to call “one out of twenty.” When they were young, I shared with them that about one out of twenty people on the planet call the United States home.
In sales, people talk about businesses falling into two main categories: hunters and farmers. Each approach has its strengths, but we’ve realized that we use a third, less-talked-about category: trappers.
You know the old story—the one where someone, usually with a tortured expression, says, “No matter what I say, don’t let me out of this room.” It’s a clear warning. They know what’s coming. And yet, when the full moon rises, the pleading begins.
We experienced a widespread power outage, a few months ago, in Seattle. For days, about 250,000 people didn’t have power, offering a valuable lesson in communication and expectation-setting among business owners.
Working with hundreds of potential clients over the years, I’ve learned that reaching an agreement requires both timing and confidence. When a conversation is going well, you must recognize it and lead the client to the next steps without over-explaining. Once the client says “yes”, it’s essential to take that answer and move forward rather than offer more reassurance when it isn’t needed. A specific example is references. Sure, we have a bunch of them – but we don’t offer them when the answer is already yes!
When investing in custom software development, it’s natural to wonder whether your development team needs experience in your specific industry. But while industry knowledge can be helpful, it’s not essential for a successful outcome. In fact, working with developers who bring fresh perspectives and know how to apply their expertise from other projects can often result in more innovative solutions.
As a business owner, I live by my calendar. Meetings are the rhythm of my day, and over time, I’ve tried to improve my punctuality. But I’ve noticed that not everyone shares the same internal clock.
We’re big movie buffs at J Street, so much so that we created a nifty tool to quickly answer the age-old question: “what do I watch tonight?”
It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us. We’ve been hard at work with an exciting new development for our business, and we’re thrilled to share the news with you now…
A year ago, I joined the J Street Team in my first software-centered business development role. I was thrilled to join such a competent, friendly team of database development experts…
To the untrained eye, websites and web applications can look one and the same. But underneath the covers you’ll find a world of differences…
Analyzing our clients’ needs and offering practical solutions is a big part of our job…
I have been so fortunate in my life. I was raised in a good home, with everything we needed. I attended a good university (where I met my wife Lori)…
I spent a recent afternoon with my family on our traditional adventure to select our Christmas tree. Last year, we didn’t have a real tree at all…
Recently we started working with a new client, and of course we were excited about the opportunity! But almost immediately the owner of the company started to aggressively question every step of our process…
As an Armenian, playing backgammon was pretty much expected of me from an early age. When I was 5, my mom said that she’d play with me, but I had to promise not to cry when I lost.
One of the many things that I’ve learned over the past several months is how much I like to spend time with friends, family and employees.
Time is not a renewable resource – the time I have today is limited. I don’t want to spend a lot of time scheduling online meetings and phone calls.
J Street went completely virtual in 2018, so we have experience with the challenges of not seeing each other often. Over the past two years, we’ve found ways to stay connected.
It’s hard to know what to say or write during these times. Like many of you, I’m uncomfortable, worried about saying something wrong or alienating people.
During this time of stress from the coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to get the sleep we need. But here’s the deal: getting enough sleep, at least 7 hours each night, powers up our immune systems to help us fight viral infections.
Here at J Street, we say that we build and support database applications. But really, what we do is solve problems. Every day. That is our job. And it’s a skill that we’ve developed.
If your life is anything like mine, anything that can help your day go smoother would be welcome. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years that I use to keep me organized and efficient.
The hardest part of software development isn’t actually software development – it’s estimating how long the software development will take.
A great leader can make all the difference between success and failure, productivity and frustration, satisfaction and disappointment. But how do you know when someone’s a great leader?
A few months ago we moved out of our physical office and went completely virtual! No, that doesn’t mean that we are all CGI characters (we are still real humans), but it does mean that we no longer gather to work at a permanent office.
Do you respond quickly to communications sent to you? I’m not talking about spam or unsolicited email. I’m talking about real, honest requests and questions. I think you should try to respond right away, for a few reasons:
One of the hardest subjects to broach, in business or personal matters, is money. People are often uncomfortable bringing up the topic, especially when they need a product or service they’re not very familiar with.
Sometimes we try to spare someone’s feelings by saying “maybe” or “later” when the authentic answer is really “no”.
Some customers balk when we tell them that we’ll do some planning and design to start their project. They want us to just start coding. But we know that’s a bad idea…
To me, a developer saying their programming change “shouldn’t hurt anything” is the equivalent of a person in a horror movie saying “I’ll be right back” – things are likely to end badly!
The name of something is very important, for clarity and consistency. This is especially true when designing a database system and naming items including tables, fields, and labels.
Few things are quite as frustrating as using some software and receiving an error message – except for receiving an error message that tells you NOTHING about what the problem actually is!
I recently had a conversation with my 22-year-old son, who was kind enough to list some words and phrases that I shouldn’t say. They are simply out of date or otherwise not cool.
I recently visited Thailand, and I loved the country, food, and people. But I was shocked by the state of their wiring infrastructure.
In the last J Street Buzz, I explained what Microsoft Access really is – a desktop application development builder. But what about web applications? How do you choose which type of system you need?
We build desktop systems using Microsoft Access, and web applications using ASP.NET. They each have their place. For many years we’ve heard negative opinions about Access, especially from IT people, and I think it’s because they don’t know what Access actually is.
Recently I read a great article, Learning Programming Isn’t That Hard, Deep Work Is Hard, which explores the difference between shallow work and deep work. I mostly agree with the article, but I don’t think that everyone who can do deep work necessarily has the aptitude for coding.
Recently we were contacted by a company that was in a tough spot. They had a thriving business, but things weren’t going well with their software developer/hosting company.
In the last J Street Buzz, I mentioned KOB, a custom application that we’ve built and extended for over 20 years to run our business. I asked, “Can you guess what KOB stands for?” I got a few guesses, but none of them were correct.
We believe in our products and development, which is why we “eat our own dog food”. If we don’t use the technology we recommend, why should you?
There have been movies made about it, and it happens in real life. A regular hard-working person buys a lottery ticket and wins BIG – and promptly quits their job.
If you have ever experienced less-than-stellar customer service (and most everyone has!) then you know how frustrated you can become. Even if the end result is great, a bad customer service experience can spoil it for you.
Occasionally we receive invitations to respond to Requests for Proposal (RFPs), but we rarely respond to them. Here’s why:
Is your team struggling to complete a project because one of their tools just doesn’t work quite right? Ever wonder how much time is being wasted with workarounds?
J Street is always buzzing, even when we’re drinking decaf! Here are some things I’ve been thinking about. ~ Armen Stein BUSINESS ETIQUETTE Business BUEtiquette
The Summer months have the J Street team buzzing about vacation plans, but we’re still focused on getting projects done! ~ Armen Stein Tesla in
J Street is always buzzing, just like all those drones flying around! Here are some things I’ve been thinking about. ~ Armen Stein Amazon’s Proposed
The buzz of lawnmowers throughout the neighborhood means just one thing – Spring is here! Time for new life and fresh starts. Here are some
J Street is always buzzing, just like the bees in the spring blossoms! Here are some things I’ve been thinking about. ~ Armen Stein The
Who Let The Prisoners Out? Software development is challenging – factoring in all the ways the data can be used, making sure that data
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At J Street Technology, we’ve been working with clients for over 20 years. In that time, we’ve developed some recommendations on the topic. We hope you find our checklist useful