Below is the quote of my reflection after finishing Condroid - KTH Summer CSD 2011 project. The full document can be found in this link ---
WhatI learned and my contribution as Project Manager
I was interested in CSDsince the first time when I chosen to continue master degree in CommunicationSystems KTH. Tobe honest, I did not expect to take responsibility as Project Manager as I plannedto fully concentrate on engineering side, while boosting my skill in working ininternational environments. Eventough I have worked with professional from various backgrounds and nationalitiesin last work experience, as well leadership experiences, I realize everyleadership opportunity has its own challenge and gives its own lesson,s andyes, 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 didmistakes during my time as Project Manager, however, by constant guidance ofcoaches and feedback from other team members, I recovered and learnt to avoidit. This over me opportunity to hand on with Scrum Agile methodology, and I usedto interact with external stakeholders and upper management, got lotopportunities to improve my bargain and communication mastery, as same presentation,reporting and documentation skill, as I mainly responsible to write almostdocumentations and presentations and also constantly assure their quality. Facing thework flow and implementing work breakdown structure also have became such familiarthings: calculating team member’s capability, splitting, prioritizing andscheduling the works, so it can be achieved within the deadline.The importantpart for me is, it treated me on how to keep building trust to my fellows. Ifelt how I was pushed to develop patience to react on other people’sindifference and mistakes in their responsible tasks. I learned how continuously to be consistent and improviseat the same time, manage and optimize on utilizing the resources. These areeasy to be done in short range time, but not in long time like CSD project. Onthe situation like that, I was often encouraged on practice giving attention on small things, to maintain thequality of our works. I learnt how to accept and give feedback using the waythat can be accepted by the others; lead discussion and health debate that moveto win-win and valuable result, and resolve contradiction. I was understand Ihave to keep unity of my team while at the same time made controlled pressure,sowe havesame awareness about every aspect in this project and work to the best resultthat we can make. I developed skill to keep motivating myself and all teammembers, make all of us believe we can solve the challenges and provide thebest result, if we keep our faith and work in efficient manner.
WhatI learned and my contribution as Software Engineer
Working in programming task is not a new thing to me, as Ihave professional work experience on it, but the technical aspects in workingin Condroid were about programming, networking, and research. The mostfascinating thing is when realize these are unexplored areas. I felt like beinga child again, and was offered a lot new toys, but the opportunity to play withit only during specific range of time! I took opportunity as Software Engineerand Technical Leader in WSN/DTN area. This happened not because I was exitedabout handing technical matter, but also calculating team member’s interest. Eventough I wanted to hands on in Android (Remote Management), as my previousexperience as mobile developer, I have to aside my personal ego, and filled theempty role. All of us have not much experience, both in Android, or DTN andevent WSN area. In that situation, every part would be the starting point, thusthe interest and passion would make difference. After several months, I realizethe meaning behind these things, as I have tough master thesis and doctoralresearch in the area of cognitive network, which would be exited to be combinedwith wireless sensor.
However, at the first following months, all of us involve inRemote management. I leaded my Software engineers in schematic research, eventough we did not know what exactly we should do, and it was easy to fell onboredom when we do not have point to go. And as the time moved on and we onlyhave limited time, I clearly recognized this was critical period. During thosedays, I learnt the concept of serial level (TTL, RS232), found out the map ofpossible available serial connection technologies in Android (Bluetooth, AudioJack, ADB, ADK). Then pointed out and spitted the task among my team members aboutthe things that need detail research, which were ADB (IOIO, Microbridge,xDevelop) and ADK (Modern device, RT Corp, DIY Drones, Microchip), as weskipped the other 2 after I learnt they are unsuitable approaches for ourproject.
I got opportunity to learn, not just to convince my teammates, but also presented the idea to our Champion, coaches, and consultants thatthis was correct and better rather than other choices (NDK and FTDI), eventought at that time none of us has much knowledge about that. After finishing this project, I canclearly see this part is one of important finding that pointed out, not justour project direction, but also the next project after us. The most amazingthing to me is, these things were found in limited time, and where thistechnology was still very new and not much people out there have handed on toit.
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 thispart made Qing An and I get used to deal with Linux environment, which I wasnot confidence before. And the most interesting part is, we did not just dealwith usual Linux, but also Voyage, Linux on embedded system, where not muchpeople have handed on it! I researched how to configure the system in this OS: networkinterface, WiFI AP, DHCP, DNS, Apache, MySQL, Hostapd, DTN, SunSPOT, etc, troubleshoot various problems and even found couple bugs of the services that run onit. I used my mastery in Java to implement the SPOT, Gateway Sender and Receiverthat provide the core of the WSN/DTN gateway functionalities. We struggled alot to make achievement in this WSN/DTN part, learnt from the scratch withminimum supervision. But from that I got opportunities to discuss withresearchers in these areas (Voyage OS, SunSPOT, DTNRG, DTN2) and used to read scientificpapers and technical articles, and find out what we need in efficient amount oftime. I got challenges to make comprehensive technical documentations, which notjust become guidance for the next team, but also appear as the first page insearch engine, which means not many (or maybe, none) researchers have done specificthings we have done.
After finishing this project, I am proud with our team, howwe could passed all challenges, what we have learned, and even with limitedresources, still we provide the great result, even tough not 100%. This makes mebelieve, every of us always have hidden capabilities that we never explorebefore. I believe every of us can take any new challenge and accomplish it, aslong as we work hard and keep our faith. This is what CSD environment andespecially, as what our Champion and Coaches taught us. And I am thankful have ever been under theirsupervision
