Team members methodically pared down extras,
focusing on functionality rather than features. As
the November deadline approached, the team met
regularly to assess whether core goals were being
achieved and to decide whether additional features
could be added—or had to be eliminated—based on
the delivery date.
The team also conducted system testing in parallel with the development process to
address any issues in real time. “We
never save testing to the end, because
the problems that arise need to be
prioritized as well,” Mr. Hsiao says.
The product was ready to launch
for the Las Vegas event. The final version
offered only one background theme each
for Christmas and Hanukkah, and it didn’t
have all the bells and whistles outlined in
the original project plan, but the technology
worked without a hitch.
Mr. Jefferson demonstrated the site live on stage
and later used it to create a video with highlights of
the AWS conference, which Amazon C TO Werner
Vogel played as the opening to his own speech.
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