Reflection: Condroid - KTH Summer CSD 2011 Lesson Learned & Contribution List

Below is the quote of my reflection after finishing Condroid - KTH Summer CSD 2011 project. The full document can be found in this link 

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What I learned and my contribution as Project Manager

I was interested in CSD since the first time when I chosen to continue master degree in Communication Systems KTH. To be honest, I did not expect to take responsibility as Project Manager as I planned to fully concentrate on engineering side, while boosting my skill in working in international environments.  Even tough I have worked with professional from various backgrounds and nationalities in last work experience, as well leadership experiences, I realize every leadership opportunity has its own challenge and gives its own lesson,s and yes, it is proven again it to me, when I took my role as leader in my CSD course.  

Our team has faced problems and we solved it together. I did mistakes during my time as Project Manager, however, by constant guidance of coaches and feedback from other team members, I recovered and learnt to avoid it. This over me opportunity to hand on with Scrum Agile methodology, and I used to interact with external stakeholders and upper management, got lot opportunities to improve my bargain and communication mastery, as same presentation, reporting and documentation skill, as I mainly responsible to write almost documentations and presentations and also constantly assure their quality. Facing the work flow and implementing work breakdown structure also have became such familiar things: calculating team member’s capability, splitting, prioritizing and scheduling the works, so it can be achieved within the deadline.

The important part for me is, it treated me on how to keep building trust to my fellows. I felt how I was pushed to develop patience to react on other people’s indifference and mistakes in their responsible tasks. I learned how continuously to be consistent and improvise at the same time, manage and optimize on utilizing the resources. These are easy to be done in short range time, but not in long time like CSD project. On the situation like that, I was often encouraged on practice giving attention on small things, to maintain the quality of our works. I learnt how to accept and give feedback using the way that can be accepted by the others; lead discussion and health debate that move to win-win and valuable result, and resolve contradiction. I was understand I have to keep unity of my team while at the same time made controlled pressure, so we have same awareness about every aspect in this project and work to the best result that we can make. I developed skill to keep motivating myself and all team members, make all of us believe we can solve the challenges and provide the best result, if we keep our faith and work in efficient manner.

What I learned and my contribution as Software Engineer

Working in programming task is not a new thing to me, as I have professional work experience on it, but the technical aspects in working in Condroid were about programming, networking, and research. The most fascinating thing is when realize these are unexplored areas. I felt like being a child again, and was offered a lot new toys, but the opportunity to play with it only during specific range of time! I took opportunity as Software Engineer and Technical Leader in WSN/DTN area. This happened not because I was exited about handing technical matter, but also calculating team member’s interest. Even tough I wanted to hands on in Android (Remote Management), as my previous experience as mobile developer, I have to aside my personal ego, and filled the empty role. All of us have not much experience, both in Android, or DTN and event WSN area. In that situation, every part would be the starting point, thus the interest and passion would make difference. After several months, I realize the meaning behind these things, as I have tough master thesis and doctoral research in the area of cognitive network, which would be exited to be combined with wireless sensor.  

However, at the first following months, all of us involve in Remote management. I leaded my Software engineers in schematic research, even tough we did not know what exactly we should do, and it was easy to fell on boredom when we do not have point to go. And as the time moved on and we only have limited time, I clearly recognized this was critical period. During those days, I learnt the concept of serial level (TTL, RS232), found out the map of possible available serial connection technologies in Android (Bluetooth, Audio Jack, ADB, ADK). Then pointed out and spitted the task among my team members about the things that need detail research, which were ADB (IOIO, Microbridge, xDevelop) and ADK (Modern device, RT Corp, DIY Drones, Microchip), as we skipped the other 2 after I learnt they are unsuitable approaches for our project.

I got opportunity to learn, not just to convince my team mates, but also presented the idea to our Champion, coaches, and consultants that this was correct and better rather than other choices (NDK and FTDI), event ought at that time none of us has much knowledge about that.  After finishing this project, I can clearly see this part is one of important finding that pointed out, not just our project direction, but also the next project after us. The most amazing thing to me is, these things were found in limited time, and where this technology was still very new and not much people out there have handed on to it.

In WSN/DTN, I learnt many aspects in embedded system, wireless sensor and DTN, and took 2.5 months to deal with it. Taking care this part made Qing An and I get used to deal with Linux environment, which I was not confidence before. And the most interesting part is, we did not just deal with usual Linux, but also Voyage, Linux on embedded system, where not much people have handed on it! I researched how to configure the system in this OS: network interface, WiFI AP, DHCP, DNS, Apache, MySQL, Hostapd, DTN, SunSPOT, etc, trouble shoot various problems and even found couple bugs of the services that run on it. I used my mastery in Java to implement the SPOT, Gateway Sender and Receiver that provide the core of the WSN/DTN gateway functionalities. We struggled a lot to make achievement in this WSN/DTN part, learnt from the scratch with minimum supervision. But from that I got opportunities to discuss with researchers in these areas (Voyage OS, SunSPOT, DTNRG, DTN2) and used to read scientific papers and technical articles, and find out what we need in efficient amount of time. I got challenges to make comprehensive technical documentations, which not just become guidance for the next team, but also appear as the first page in search engine, which means not many (or maybe, none) researchers have done specific things we have done.

After finishing this project, I am proud with our team, how we could passed all challenges, what we have learned, and even with limited resources, still we provide the great result, even tough not 100%. This makes me believe, every of us always have hidden capabilities that we never explore before. I believe every of us can take any new challenge and accomplish it, as long as we work hard and keep our faith. This is what CSD environment and especially, as what our Champion and Coaches taught us. And I am thankful have ever been under their supervision