Episode 699 | How to Build Elegant, Scalable Software Products with Derrick Reimer

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Feb 6, 2024

Derrick Reimer, the founder of SavvyCal, dives into the art of scaling software with a focus on user experience. He discusses establishing cohesive design systems to improve efficiency as products grow. Derrick shares insights on creating reusable components for better scalability and effective communication methods to enhance user understanding. The conversation also touches on vital knowledge management practices and offers podcasting wisdom that resonates with aspiring creators. Tune in for a wealth of practical tips from this UX expert!

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ADVICE

Design System

Establish design systems and a design language early on to maintain consistency.
This simplifies development and prevents a hodgepodge of design choices as your product scales.

ADVICE

Building a Design System

Start with a single page, standardizing buttons, form elements, and tables.
Gradually expand the design system to other elements as needed, ensuring consistency and reusability.

ADVICE

Understanding Customer Usage

Understand how customers use your product by observing their behavior.
Tools like FullStory or watching user sessions can reveal friction points and areas for improvement.

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In episode 699, Rob Walling chats with fan favorite Derrick Reimer, the founder of SavvyCal, about scaling products tastefully. Derrick offers his perspective on maintaining a tidy UX and deciding which features to implement. They also cover best practices for maintaining knowledge bases, changelogs, and documentation. As a bonus, Rob and Derrick offer podcasting advice to their past selves.

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Topics we cover:

2:35 – Establish design systems and language as you scale your product
8:36 – Building out a front-end directory to maintain consistency
10:17 – Truly understand how customers are moving through your product
16:28 – Naming convention dilemmas, industry norms vs. accuracy
19:22 – Hiding product features with feature flags
23:04 – Scaling new products that serve different verticals
31:12 – Best practices for maintaining a product knowledge base
37:11 – Bonus: What advice would you give to your prior self starting a podcast?

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If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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