2024-10-31 New tool discussion

Quick recap

James Gibson, a former employee of a company acquired by Instructure, shared his current work as a fractional CTO and offered advice to Denise on her idea for operations planning. They discussed the challenges of planning and scheduling for academic calendars, the importance of user experience, and the potential benefits of using tools like Airtable for data management. The conversation also touched on the challenges of managing multiple tools within an institution, the importance of information architecture and knowledge management, and the need for better packaging of solutions.

Next steps

• Denise to explore and test Airtable as a potential solution for operations planning and task management.

• Denise to continue developing her skills and pursuing certification in information architecture and knowledge management.

• Denise to consider the potential business opportunity of offering higher education consulting services for implementing no-code tools and solutions.

Summary

James Gibson's Fractional CTO Role

In the meeting, James Gibson, a former employee of a company that was acquired by Instructure, shared his current work as a fractional CTO, focusing on early-stage product development and advising non-technical founders. Denise, who expressed interest in developing a new project, sought James' advice on the feasibility of her idea, which involved operations planning for hundreds of operations. James agreed to provide guidance and help Denise determine if her idea was redundant or innovative.

Streamlining Academic Calendar Planning

Denise and James discussed the challenges of planning and scheduling for academic calendars, particularly in relation to milestones such as graduation and the start of classes. Denise expressed a desire to streamline the process by linking background operations to these milestones, making planning easier from year to year. James suggested that there are existing products that could potentially solve this problem, but cautioned that many of these products are not well-regarded. He encouraged Denise to explore these options further, considering both the functionality of the products and their ease of adoption. They also discussed the importance of user experience and the potential for niche businesses to specialize in customizing software for specific use cases.

Exploring Airtable for Data Management

James and Denise discussed the challenges of managing data and operations within their organization. Denise expressed a preference for using CSV files for data uploads and downloads, and the need for categorization and assignment to specific users for better visibility. James suggested the use of Airtable, a tool that could potentially automate tasks such as calendar event creation and color coding. Denise agreed that such a tool could be beneficial, but also acknowledged the potential resistance to adding new tools within a university context. The conversation ended with the idea that Airtable could be a powerful solution for their needs, but further work would be required to fully implement it.

Managing Tools and Exploring Solutions

Denise and James discussed the challenges of managing multiple tools and software packages within their institution. Denise expressed frustration with the "not another tool" mentality and the difficulty of convincing the institution to purchase additional tools, even when they could solve specific problems. James suggested exploring Airtable as a potential solution, noting its flexibility and cost-effectiveness. He also proposed the idea of a niche consultancy service specifically for higher education institutions, offering tailored solutions using no-code tools like Airtable. Denise agreed to explore these options further.

Knowledge Management and Information Architecture

Denise and James discussed Denise's interest in information architecture and knowledge management, particularly in organizing information and making it usable, findable, and relevant. Denise expressed her desire to get a certification in this field and her intention to focus more on this area. They also discussed the challenges of knowledge transfer, particularly with an aging workforce, and the importance of documentation. James suggested that the field of knowledge management is still evolving, especially with the integration of AI, and that there is still room for innovation. They also touched on the issue of complexity management and the need for better packaging of solutions to make them more appealing to users.