Successful F/OSS projects rely on effective collaborative product development processes. In this presentation we will briefly discuss about the key success factors of software projects - namely product management, programme and project management, User Experience (e.g. usability research, interaction and visual design), stakeholder management and launch management etc., and how they can relate to F/OSS projects as well. In this presentation, we will also talk about the cultural differences and challenges across virtual teams, factors affecting knowledge sharing, gender-bias in F/OSS communities and other human behavioural challenges that make F/OSS projects particular more difficult to manage than other non-F/OSS projects. This presentation was presented in the Hong Kong Open Source Conference held on Oct 19, 2013. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW5UlYmYcaI

1. Collaborative Product Development in
Free and Open Source projects
Amanda Lam
2013.10.19

2. Who is Amanda Lam?
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BEng Computer Systems Engineering, University of Warwick, UK
MSc Programme and Project Management, University of Warwick, UK
(expected 2014)
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Assistant Product Manager, Mobile & New Devices, jobsDB.com
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Founding Member of the Hong Kong MeeGo Network
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Executive Committee Member and Podcaster of the Hong Kong PDA
User Group (HKPUG)
Blogger and gadget product reviewer
Volunteered in unofficial Traditional Chinese localisation projects of
the Maemo 4 & 5 platforms
back in 2009
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Developed Maemo 5 apps for Nokia
N900 with Python language and
Hildon/Gtk+ frameworks, such as
eSpeak GUI Client and Stroke Order
Chinese Input Method
Recipient of the Nokia N950 developer
device via MeeGo Community Device
Program and developed various
MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan apps for Nokia
N9

3. What makes a great (F/OSS) product?
Thorough Research
& Analysis
Proper UX
Research & User Testing
Quality coding
Intuitive UI Design
Great (F/OSS) Product
Comprehensive
Testing & QA
Easy-to-read
Documentation
Great localisation,
Effective Marketing &
Targeted Promotion
Vision, Spirit, Belief
Releasing product on time with good quality

4. Who makes a great (F/OSS) product?
Product Manager,
Business Analyst &
Data Analyst
UX Researcher &
Interaction Designer
System Analyst &
Software Developers
Art Director &
Visual Designer
Great (F/OSS) Product
Quality Assurance
Manager & Testers
Launch Manager &
Product Marketing Manager
Knowledge Manager,
Technical Writer,
Training Manager
Top Management,
Human Resources
Portfolio Manager / Programme Manager / Project Manager

5. How to make a great (F/OSS) product?
Product Management
Programme &
Project Management
Technical Capability &
Skills Development
Creative Management
Great (F/OSS) Product
Knowledge
Management
Quality Management
Stakeholder Management &
Launch Management
Organisational
Culture Alignment
Portfolio / Programme / Project Management

6. Product Management
Michael Porter’s five forces
Image courtesy: Wikipedia, www.abilitysuccessgrowth.com, business-docs.co.uk
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Key roles: Product Manager, Business Analyst, Data Analyst
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Identify problems to solve, market gap to fill, or even the Blue Ocean to create!
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Perform thorough research and analysis on status quo in the market: lots of
market data would be required!
Work out Benefits / Effort Matrix and prioritise product initiatives to a Product
Roadmap
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Create and prepare product requirements for individual products
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Close monitoring the launched products and perform the above cycle again
PESTLE Analysis

7. Proper UX Research & User Testing
Image courtesy: Drupal UX team (www.drupal.org), uxmag.com, Tobii
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Key roles: UX Researcher, Interaction Designer
Research and analyse user behaviour, with the aid of tracking data,
observation, or even specialised hardware (e.g. eye-tracking devices)
Identify usability issues of existing products, or core user needs of
future products
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Design wireframes or interactive prototypes
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Conduct unbiased user testing with the wireframes or prototypes
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Review user testing findings and fine-tune interaction design

8. Creative Management
Image courtesy: design.ubuntu.com, design.canonical.com
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Key roles: Art Director, Visual Designer
Define brand guidelines, visual language and art direction that govern the look
and feel of all products
Manage the digital asset repository
Create visual design and artworks for products, based on the Interaction Design
received
Manage creative people for manageable deliverable while not limiting their
creativity.

9. Knowledge Management
Image courtesy: GNOME Documentation Hackfest 2012 – Brno, Czech Republic (lleksah.wordpress.com), doc.opensuse.org
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Key roles: Knowledge Manager, Technical Writer, Training Manager
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Prepare documentation of product requirements and technical details
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Create and maintain the knowledge repositories
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Work out the strategies for better knowledge sharing
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Provide training to key stakeholders

10. Technical Capability & Skills Development
Image courtesy: hacks.mozilla.org, AngelHack (www.startupshk.com)
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Key roles: System Analyst, Software Developers
Perform feasibility studies, negotiate with Product Manager and convert business requirements into
technical requirements
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Develop solutions in neat and scalable ways
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Transfer and develop skill sets of individuals
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Explicit knowledge (e.g. coding guidelines and techniques)
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Tacit knowledge (e.g. working style, communication skills etc.)

11. Quality Management
Image courtesy:
www.softwaretestpro.com,
Mozilla
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Key roles: Quality Assurance Manager, Testers
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Define acceptance standards, testing scope and comprehensive test plans
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Maintain the testing environment and automated test tools
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Manage and evolve the issue reporting systems
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Arrange necessary resources for testing, such as time, manpower and devices
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Provide advices on resolving the issues

12. Stakeholder Management & Launch Management
Image courtesy: WMG, University of Warwick;
ww.real-user-monitoring.com
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Key roles: Product Marketing Manager, Launch Manager
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Identify key stakeholders (RACI matrix) and perform stakeholder analysis
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Effectively communicate key product messages to key stakeholders prior to launch
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Change management: look after stakeholders who will be negatively impacted
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Prepare product marketing guidelines for marketing teams to highlight key features
and benefits
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Consult key stakeholders, plan and advise the best timing for product launches
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Work with Training Manager to arrange product training

13. Organisation Culture Alignment
“The vision for Ubuntu is part social and part economic: free
software, available to everybody on the same terms, and funded
through a portfolio of services provided by Canonical.”
Image courtesy:
Ubuntu.com
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Key roles: Top Management, Human Resources
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Establish core values such as vision, spirit and beliefs
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Understand the cultural background and differences of the project team members
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With the established core values, cultivate a unique organisation culture that sits on
top of everyone's national culture, and get team members' buy-in
Organise team building activities to make sure such organisation culture is
ingrained in team members' mind

14. Portfolio / Programme / Project Management
Image courtesy: Jerry Bucknoff, PM Best
Practices, sourceforge.net/projects/openproj
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Key roles: Portfolio Manager, Programme Manager, Project Manager
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Collect product initiatives from Product Managers, and categorise them into programme or portfolios.
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Identify and mitigate cost, time and resource risks at portfolio, programme and project levels; and find out the critical paths
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Work out interdependency of projects or programme.
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Allocate necessary resources and resolve resource conflicts for programme and project teams.
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Create roadmaps and milestones at portfolio and programme level, and project plan at project level

15. What make F/OSS projects more difficult to manage?
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Often involve global virtual teams
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Uneven distribution of skill sets (especially in smaller
projects)
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Cultural differences
Too developer-dominated, too technical-focused
Gender bias and stereotypes
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Male-dominated
Female-unfriendly environment
Knowledge-sharing challenges
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Lack of informal socialisation
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weak team climate
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lack of trust and respect
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uneven absorptive capacity
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lack of knowledge customisation
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… etc.
Image courtesy:
www.excellenceinleadership.co.uk,
www.culpwrit.com

16. Cultural differences: Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
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Eastern cultures is vastly different than Western cultures.
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Even in Asia, different countries would have different cultural characteristics.
References:
www.geerthofstede.nl, geert-hofstede.com

17. Organisational culture and National culture
Image courtesy:
WMG, University of Warwick
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No matter what national culture and professional culture the team members belong to, if a
common organisational culture is cultivated, team members would share common values,
assumptions, artifacts and norms.

18. Developer-dominated technical-focused geeky cultures
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Developers also need to understand what
REAL USERS want!
Be OPEN MINDED!
Always welcome non-developers and
newcomers to contribute!
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RESPECT the unique skill sets of each other.
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Speak HUMAN, EARTH language!
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Image courtesy:
www.opendocs.org
Allow newcomers to ask silly questions and
guide them through wholeheartedly.

19. Gender bias in F/OSS projects
Huh, what happened? ~_~
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Are F/OSS ideas too philosophical?
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Gender stereotypes: Women must be innocent? Women must be non-technical users?
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Women's contributions not being recognised and they feel being excluded?
Guys, RETHINK!
Image courtesy:
Women in Free/Open Source Software Development, Hanna M. Wallach, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2011.
http://people.cs.umass.edu/~wallach/talks/2011-04-05_JHU.pdf

20. Knowledge sharing and conversion challenges in virtual teams
Image courtesy:
HICKS, R.C., DATTERO, R. and GALUP, S.D., 2007. A metaphor for knowledge management: explicit islands in a tacit sea. Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 5 ABI/INFORM Global. ISSN 13673270.
DOI http://dx.doi.org.eproxy.vtclib9.vtc.edu.hk:2048/10.1108/13673270710728204.
NONAKA, I., TOYAMA, R. and KONNO, N., 2000. SECI, ba and leadership: A unified model of dynamic knowledge creation. Long Range Planning, Feb 2000, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 5-34 ABI/INFORM Global. ISSN 00246301.
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For virtual teams,
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explicit knowledge are easier to acquire and share than tacit
knowledge
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hence knowledge conversion processes (“digestions”) are hindered

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