Job Description: Project Manager

This is so you know what I do.


I herd cats.  I don't make executive decisions about implementation or
design, I just try to help those people who are implementing or
designing.  I help by providing a structure for their discussions and
ensuring we have people filling the other roles such as librarian and
sysadmin.  This will involve making sure design and internals and
other groups are all working and in touch with each other when they
need to be.

I'm inventing the structure for development as we go along.  The
initial survey we did of the glib, apache, python, etc. development
groups didn't show a single guaranteed-successful model for design and
implementation.  I'm happy to evolve a system that works by trying things
that sound like they might work, and then trying something different
if they don't.

I figure the discussion structure for the design (current plan is to
have small working groups of interested people spun off onto their own
mailing lists to sort out specifics of proposals) will be separate
from the structure we use for implementation, and will worry about
implementation once Larry is pondering the output of the design phase.

I don't like to spend more time thinking about the future than is
absolutely necessary.  I'm happy to take advice and listen to what
other people suggest we do.  I'm also happy to be forceful and make a
decision when a decision is called for.


It's management hell, basically :-)

Nat

• Job Description: Project Manager by Nathan Torkington