Wikimedia Apps/imported/Retrospective-June 25 2015

June 25, 2015

= Previous Retrospective Actions =
 * Action! Try a standup or scrum of scrums style meeting to improve coordination with mobile web and communication across Readership overall [Kristen] DONE-ish (2nd part)
 * Action! Coordinate Readership eng team needs and roll up to Adam so he can communicate them out [Note: this action is somewhat unclear and has no "owner", but may be an outcome of the previous action]
 * Action! Reach out to Greg to communicate iOS team CI requirements [Brian] DONE https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T98970
 * Action! Clarify what devices/configurations are supported in Android/strategies for support, deprecation [Stephen] IN PROGRESS

=Worked Well, Worked Poorly, Confusing=

Worked Well

 * iOS 5.0 branch Much is now possible now that iOS 6 is dropped
 * Monte deleted 6000 lines of code
 * Crash reporting's back on 4.1.5
 * Release process (deployments going without a hitch)
 * (Android) Q1 roadmap
 * Android crew hittin' a good stride
 * Refinement of team development processes/expectations (patch size, bugging people for reviews on IRC is fine, etc.) <-- Dusky Rose speaking
 * New Content service Owner
 * Bernd crushing the documentation and corrdination for the new service
 * iOS "velocity"

Worked Poorly

 * iOS Data layer (again)
 * QA
 * need moar QA (need a clone of Elena—and maybe automated tests)++++
 * (iOS) Regression testing still missing large crashers
 * (Android) Not enough tests!
 * (Android) More devices / OSs
 * (iOS) lack of diagnostic info w/ crashes
 * code duplication between Android/iOS (js/less) ++
 * Monte doing sometimes a bit too much work outside of scoped / planned tickets
 * I have some trouble with this too
 * Or iOS-specific designs (e.g. Language picker)
 * Measuring prototype success
 * User testing prototypes
 * (iOS) Lack of CI+++
 * Finding out unit tests don't compile anymore
 * Uncrustify stuff leaking into diffs, making code review more difficult
 * Yada yada (you've heard all this before)
 * Managing multiple branches in gerrit
 * Lack of clarity on current work+
 * Coordinating new features/designs quickly

Confuses Us

 * iOS app 5.0
 * What's the vision? Would love to see mocks and/or
 * how should we measure velocity+
 * http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/62842796.jpg
 * time allocation of apps engineers re. content service?+++
 * put another way: integration of content-service-related work into apps backlogs and/or features?
 * Release Engineering
 * Fruit crisps
 * WTF are they?

Top three items:

 * need moar QA (need a clone of Elena—and maybe automated tests)++++
 * Action! Get Elena better/more devices/OSes [Dmitry]
 * Action! Try some new manual QA methods? Try a "testing party" where we try to produce crashes that users are encountering BG
 * Action! Explore automated scenario & fuzz testing BG/iOS


 * (iOS) Lack of CI+++
 * Finding out unit tests don't compile anymore
 * Uncrustify stuff leaking into diffs, making code review more difficult
 * Yada yada (you've heard all this before)
 * Action! [ONGOING] Email thread is happening. What is the priority? [ADAM]


 * time allocation of apps engineers re. content service?+++
 * put another way: integration of content-service-related work into apps backlogs and/or features?
 * Action! Kristen/Dmitry/Bernd to continue conversation and distill out to team.

Additional Actions

 * Action! Make an effort to call out cross-team considerations at tech lead sync up [ADAM]
 * Action! Ask Jon Katz to focus on the cross-coordination aspect of his role in order to improve alignment across web and apps (eg communicating and planning what features make sense on what platform, help w/lead images) [ADAM, JON KATZ]
 * Action! Try separate platform option for retro [MAX]
 * make Android optional for iOS (and vice-versa)
 * Perhaps these meetign coudl be shorter (30 mins)
 * Sprint to sprint or monthly?