Interview the Co-Founder & COO of Wolf Flow

This is an interview with Jen, the Co-Founder & COO of Wolf Flow;  a Wisconsin based company. If you are like me and like productivity apps or hacks, this might be for you. To understand about the unique concept and why this software might be helpful, read the interview.

1. The concept looks wonderful, please tell us what was the inspiration behind creating the software

I’m so glad you see value in the idea! 

I previously worked as an Account Manager for an advertising-technology startup in Los Angeles. In my position, I managed 12 clients who I spoke to daily either through email, performance calls, or meetings. One afternoon in 2016, I was working on a global marketing campaign that I needed a handful of resources to complete (multiple browser tabs, and excel doc, and the client’s website).

Just when I had my desktop setup just how I needed, I got a call from another client with an issue I had to address immediately.  I began pulling open new windows on top of my perfectly organized desktop to put out the fire. When I was done fixing the issue, I realized my desktop was now full of chaos and I no longer had the resources open that I needed for my project. In this moment, I thought to myself, “Man.. If only I had something that allowed me to save groups of windows for each of my clients, I could easily save where I left off for each letting me jump between them easily.” That evening, I started to research what tools were out there to help me with this paint point, but came up empty handed. From there, I shared this frustration with Alex Coffin my co-founder, and he realized he experienced this same frustration as a technical sales engineer. 

Seeing as we both felt this frustration in our roles daily, we decided to do something about it! We are both so passionate about trying to make daily routines for professionals who work on their computers more effortless and help them to work smarter. A lot of people (including myself) have gotten into a mind state that we have to accept how things are sometimes, I just finally reached my tipping point.

2. The fact that you are saving time by using Wolf Flow seems amazing, did you always have time management in mind when developing the software?

Time management is a bit of an additional benefit to using Wolf Flow.

For us, the main problem we were trying to tackle with Wolf Flow was alleviating the digital and cognitive chaos professionals experience when trying to juggle so many different tasks, clients or projects. 

Companies continue to pile work on employees, a lot of times more than we really can handle. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be changing. We wanted to create a solution that decreases the mundane busy-work of having to minimize and shuffle through windows and tabs when trying to switch between priorities, helping professionals have the resources they need for any project, client or task at their fingertips with the click of a button.  With these smoother and quicker transitions is when we begin seeing time being saved.

This time then can be used to either tackle another project, learn a new skill, or even get home on time to have dinner with one’s family. Wolf Flow also helps workers to be more productive by being able to focus on one task at a time, instead of accidentally clicking on the wrong tab and having their attention pulled away from what they were trying to do in the first place.  Wolf Flow’s Sessions ensures that you only have the resources (windows and tabs) open for that task you are trying to focus on, minimizing distractions.

3. Tell us the top 3 advantages of using Wolf Flow?

1.    Minimizes the chaos

o Going back to my story - the biggest benefit to using Wolf Flow for professionals is not having to deal with the chaos of having lots of tabs and windows open at once (all for different tasks).  Wolf Flow helps to organize resources to minimize the chaos.

2.    Task-Switch Efficiently

o With all of our shifting priorities and different hats we need to wear at work these days, Wolf Flow helps people transition between these shifting priorities efficiently. People no longer need to search for that window they are look for, but instead can find what they need, when they need it.

3.    Recover More Quickly

o Interruptions are inevitable in the workplace (externally and internally).  By being able to save the state you were in for a client, project or task to a Session, ensures that you can easily pick back up right where you left off. That way if a client calls and you have to switch gears quickly, you can easily save the resources you were working on into a Session and click into that client’s Session (who just called) to tackle the new issue.  Resources are always saved even if you close out a session, allowing you to jump back into your project or task days, weeks or months later right where you left off.

4. Can users who the Opt the free version, always have it free? or is it limited time offer?

Our free tier will remain free!

Our mission is to help the average professional, and with that we don’t want to have cost get in the way. Our free version allows you to use the software indefinitely (with free updates), just with limited features. The biggest limitation for the Free tier is being limited to 2 Active (open) Sessions at a time. 

 However, people can still create and save an unlimited amount of Sessions.

From there we have our Power Tier $4.99/month that adds in hotkeys for more control and Silent Mode to help your focus.

And our top Pro Tier at $14.99/month has Automated Time Tracking and Analytics. We are super excited about this feature as its the first of its kind. You don’t have to start or stop anything like you do with other time tracking tools. All you have to do is work within your Sessions and we automatically track for you. 

You can also pull reports for customized time frames by day, week or month that show you how much time you spent in each Session.

I will also mention that our Power and Pro tiers have a 30-day trial and we also offer enterprise discounts.

If you would like to know more details about the software, I suggest you give this link a read 

Side Note: If you liked the interview, you might like these too 

If you would like to be interviewed or showcase a product, please write to steppingintopm (at) gmail.com with the subject line- Product/Software/Book review request. 

(Pic courtesy: https://wolfflow.io/ website)

Product Round Up for June

This month I thought I would share my love of reading and few of my all time 7 fav books with you. Let me know if you like the list and share  some of yours. 

The mentioned books are all from my personal collection (hardcopy and kindle versions) and not sponsored or gifted by the Author or the Publishing House. However, some of the links used here are affiliate links which means if you buy anything using the links, I make a little bit of money at no extra cost to you. this helps me run the blog and bring amazing content to you.

Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office -  read a review here 

You are a Bad Ass  - First Impression of the book can be found here

Tools of the Titans  - Tim Ferris is another of my favourites and I try to read all of his books, to read a brief review click here . 

The Checklist - I am a big fan of Atul Gawande and have read a lot of his books, this one is the first of his that I read and loved it. The review is right here.

Code of the Extraordinary Mind  - to know more about the book, click here.

The Sleep Revolution- An impulsive airport buy on my way to Goa, this book taught me a lot about sleeping and a lot that comes with it. If you are way busy with your life and think sleep is the thing I can manipulate and few cups of extra coffee will work, think again and read this 

When Life becomes Breath- the book left me sleepless for a week, if you need. reason to be grateful for your own life and stop complaining read this . This is not fiction, its real life.  

Holocracy  - If you are into Agile and new findings and case studies, this one will get you for sure. The book is about creating an organisation without managers. Zappos is one of the few companies that adopted this model and there have been numerous writings about it on the web. Read the blogpost about it here. 

Thank you for reading and supporting the site.

(Pic: Soma Bhattacharya)

Happy Weekend

(Pic courtesy: Google Images)

June| Article Round Up

So, its Monday and you are looking for some inspiration to start your week right, here are some round ups of great reads to lift up your mood and set you up for new challenges.  

1. If you are interested in technology, this is a very interesting read on how “Microsoft kicked off the second phase of its experimental underwater data center project Wednesday, submerging a shipping-container sized data center with 864 servers near the Orkney Islands in Scotland.” 
2. If you work in an Agile environment, this is what you should know and why millennials are your dream audience .  Here's another one in the same line 
3.  If you are looking for some great reads for this summer, this list might interest you. 
4. Technology and love for food comes together for this start up that’s been inspired by moms cooking, all about Buttermilk for you and how Indian food doesn’t need hours of stirring anymore. 
5. So you manage a team and often are overwhelmed by the work and managing conflicts, this read is about making decisions in a company withno managers.  
6. Want to be that genius, read here how to uncover your true potential 
7.  Anthony Bourdain’s news broke my heart, I fell in love with cooking after watching his episodes years ago. This articles is a wonderful read for those us is who love food and will not hesitate to try a new restaurant for the love of a new cuisine.
8. If you are bad with long term goals or keeping new ears resolutions, breaking it down into small bites might be your thing, read this one if you like to read about personal journeys plus how to manage your financial goals.

The article round up for May can be found here. 

 (Pic Courtesy: Google Images)

Happy Weekend

(Pic courtesy: Google Images)

Top 7 Project Management Myths Debunked

This is a Guest Post by Fred Wilson, who is an Agile & Software Consultant at Ntask. He work with teams to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration. He is also  an avid reader and often write about productivity, project management and collaboration. 

Project management defines an altogether different experience for every professional. Different projects have different requirements when it comes to an approach or framework, the resources, budgeting and even documentation.

However, despite the evolution of project management strategies and frameworks, projects often get overshadowed by practices and methodologies that may not contribute as efficiently as assumed.

Due to some uncertainties - or shall we say project management myths - teams often miss out on implementing best practices and approaching their projects in a truly effective manner.

I tried finding out some of the common myths that exist when it comes to project management. These are the 7 most common myths I found:

1. Project Managers can fix everything

No, project managers cannot have a fix for every single issue.

Moira Alexander is the author of LEAD or LAG: Linking Strategic Project Management & Thought Leadership and the founder of Lead-Her-Ship Group with more than 20 years of experience in business and project management.

According to Alexander, although project managers may be experts and keep the workflow in progress and teams and stakeholder sin sync, they are not magicians. This is why it is important for project managers, stakeholders and sponsors to be flexible enough to identify when a task or a project cannot go further and put an end to it instead of spending more resources trying to fix it.

2. Agile is the best

Agile has proven to be very effective than other frameworks for most teams. However, it is not the ultimate solution to each project. Bola Adesope is a seasoned management and transformation consultant. According to Bola, both methodologies, Agile and traditional Waterfall have their own strengths and weaknesses. There is no good or bad approach. Instead, each project requires a tailored approach depending on various factors, such as client requirements and feasibility.

3. You can use a template to manage all projects

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all in project management. There is no one fixed method for all projects. According to Moira Alexander, every project is unique and can be affected by many internal or external factors, including timeline, work pattern, available resources and culture.

Even slight alterations can result in significant repercussions at later stages in a project development cycle. For this reason, every project needs to be planned and executed differently. Applying the exact same approach, techniques, tools and work style does not guarantee success.

4. Risk management guarantees 100% risk-free projects

Risks are a part of every project; big or small. Effective project management comprises of efficient risk management. This may include identifying potential risks, their corresponding impact and likelihood as well as how to mitigate these risks.

According to Bola Adesope, usually the risks identified and addressed earlier in the project cycle can be resolved more efficiently with lesser chances of resurfacing. However, risks continue to occur throughout the project cycle and need to be consistently monitored and regulated.

Even following the exact methods recommended in the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK, 2013) cannot guarantee a successful project. It can, however, improve the team assessment and focus throughout the project development cycle.

5. Project Management is easy

Lauren Ebsary is an experienced project consultant. Ebsary came across people who believe project management can be accomplished by just about anyone. However, there is a lot more required in handling projects other than professional skills. Each situation calls for a different set of expertise and approach to handle a project. For this reason, to be an effective project manager, a professional project management certification is required whether it involves project members or project management career-oriented people.

6. Planning is unproductive

Planning is an important part of any project.

For some people, it seems more efficient to just get on with it. According to Paula Martin, CEO, International Matrix Management Institute, this myth has infected most of the organizations due to a belief that "real work is implementing or building something and planning is just that upfront stuff we don't have time to bother with.” She adds that in reality, planning is a significant part and it ensures everyone is heading in the right direction. It promotes accountability and in essence, implementing with a plan is wiser.

7. There is no room for change

From the inception of a project to its delivery, requirements can change at any stage. This calls for effective change management strategies. Hear it from Change Management Consultant, educator and author, Paul Roberts. According to Roberts, a lot of time and effort goes into identifying a project, establishing the funding and time for delivery.

This makes us reluctant to accept any change. However, this can backfire as when we fail to identify the need for change or to accommodate it, it can result in ill-timed and lower quality deliverables. He adds that although projects should be carefully navigated from the beginning, it is also imperative that there is room for managing change if need be. 

Agile| Technical Conference| India-Bangalore

If you are a learning and likes attending conferences, here's one coming up in Bangalore (India). to know more about the organizing committee, click here.
Here’s what the Technical Agility Conference is all about: 

In today’s environment, everyone is seeking for the luxury of stability but very few of the organizations succeed to achieve it. 

Today’s market is completely volatile and unpredictable where you never know what’s gonna happen next and the common question across all the mind is “How do I do this?” The Technical Agility Conference gives a platform to meet, share & discuss with the experts around the globe under one roof where you’ll learn the meaning of Technical Agility, what it means to your organization, and what does it take to lead your organization towards true 

Technical Agility, which is fundamental to achieving true Business Agility. The Three Pillars of the conference: Culture & Collaboration - Enterprise Agility Product Stability & Reliability - Built-in Quality Fast Delivery - Time to Market Conference details: 

Conference Date : August 10-11, 2018 
Website: http://tac2018.com/ 

(Pic Courtesy: google images)

Happy Weekend

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Goal Setting Framework

This is a Guest Post by Madhavi Ledalla.

Many of us have goals, and I’m sure we would like to work towards them and achieve them.  Sometimes the goals that are set are lost somewhere or are mostly subjectively set without any objective stats to support their perusal.

Here are some steps that could guide the goal setting journey-

Start with the why, the purpose of doing something. What is my goal? What do I want to achieve and How. Simon Sinek’s framework could help here as a starting point.   

Write your goals on “Goal Definition” canvas.

Depending on number of goals you set for yourself, you may have those many goal definition canvases. Once the “Goal Definition Canvas” is filled, next step is to come up with a the priority of which goal is  most important to you. This leads to “Goal Prioritization” exercise. The below “Prioritization” Canvas can be  used.

Depending on the NS, you pick one goal that you want to work on. Once the goal is selected, the next steps are planning to achieve the goal. For this we can use the “Goal Planning Canvas”.

List down the activities that are required for you to meet the goal.

Arrange them in this way based on the impact and learning of working on the goal. Put them on the canvas and 1,2, 3 is the order of working.

One the order has been obtained from the “Planning” canvas, lay down these activities on a “Goal-Visualization-Board” and move the activities through each stage to visualize the progress.

The opinion and content expressed here is of the author and not SIPM.