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Here’s a status update on where things are at on HelpMatch.

HelpMatch Vision and Strategy

We are working on a “vision pitch” slideset; Al de Castro currently has the baton on that. This will be available for review and reaction shortly. I’m thinking it might be an idea to create a vision “webcast.” We will also use the HelpMatch wiki and HelpMatch blog for sharing and refining the HelpMatch vision.

We have worked an initial draft of the Identity (Mission, Core values and principles, vision) and Value Propositions, and have done an initial batch of work on competitive analysis, context analysis, etc. feeding into this strategy work. We still need to do more work on the capabilities tier of the strategy map, but it is already clear that a collaboration environment that will support a highly distributed team of global contributors to HelpMatch is a key capability area. Constraints like no immediate budget, and utilizing a flux workforce of volunteers are also clearly part of the picture.

Next Steps

Currently, this strategy work is hosted on the HelpMatch area of the Bredemeyer site, and I need to consolidate emerging thought with prior work and reflect the current state of the vision and strategy on the HelpMatch wiki. At our next face-to-face meeting in the Indy Architects Group, we’ll share a draft vision/strategy and use that as a starting point to refine the vision and strategy and create a draft roadmap.

• We have taken a stab at Context Maps in various forums, but we need to create a Context Map for each distinct Use Context, and an overall Context Map that captures and illuminates the big picture landscape for  HelpMatch. 

• A cut has been done at competitive analysis, but we need to extend this work to community/social networking sites, and drive it to a deeper level of analysis.

• We need to do more work on the capabilities tier of the strategy map.

• We need to share, elaborate and validate this work, and formalize a business plan.

HelpMatch.org Incorporation and Non-profit Status

We are actively exploring in this area, reaching out to connections who are or have been members of a Board of Directors for a non-profit, in part to learn lessons from those who have learned them the hard way, and in part to get candidates for the HelpMatch Board of Directors (BoD). We recognize we need to incorporate and file for non-profit status. But we need to form a board. And we need a good lawyer who is willing to do some pro bono work on this for us so we do it right.

Next Steps

• Draft board selection criteria and identify candidates

• Identify and work with a lawyer on articles and bylaws for the HelpMatch organization

• Draft 501(c)(3) application

• Persuade BoD candidates to invest their attention and energy in HelpMatch

• and do whatever else is needed to prepare for and hold our first meeting of the Board of Directors and formally incorporate HelpMatch, and get non-profit status!

HelpMatch.net Collaboration Environment

Jarvis Ka has set up the HelpMatch wiki, and it is just waiting on me to add some starter content and then we’ll release it to the broader community on HelpMatch.net. Jarvis has also set up a HelpMatch blog. Carl Ozkaynak has set up a HelpMatch Google Group. Jarvis has been setting up conference call-in meetings using Yugma, and we’ve had several evening meetings working on the vision and the collaboration environment/wiki/etc.

Next Steps

In addition to these immediate enablers of start-up work, we are also advocating either finding (if its out there) or creating a collaboration environment needs assessment for distributed strategy and architecture work, with product comparisons, to help us set up the environment that will support collaboration among the teams of teams that will design and build HelpMatch.

If you know of such an assessment (or even point assessments for different aspects of this collaboration space) or have an interest in contributing in this area, please do let us know about them. Following Kevin’s suggestion, what we do here will be documented on the HelpMatch wiki, so that the community can keep it updated as the space moves, since it is such an actively evolving area.

HelpMatch Architecture

Recognizing that we have made a number of passes at the business strategy, but we are not done there, we are ready to start to identify architecturally significant requirements areas and architectural challenges, with a view to a first cut at architectural strategy. This whole space is still fluid, but this is as it should be. We shouldn’t begin to work on architecture after the strategy is as immutable as concrete reinforced with rebar–which is what we get, once egos get all wrapped up in a “perfect” strategy formulation. We want the architecture strategy to inform the business strategy, and the business strategy to inform and provide direction for the architecture work.

Next Steps

• Create the initial organization in the wiki to create placeholders for the architectural work. 

• Identify what complementary capabilities we need on the Architecture Leadership Council.

• Begin work on stakeholder value propositions and system capability requirements and system constraints, to make decisions about the scope of system, and scope of different stages of the system roll-out.

• Begin work on the architecture strategy: identify architectural challenges and principles, architectural style, organizing concepts and metaphors, and possibly key technologies.

• then drill down, learn, refine/elaborate, etc…. oh, and build the thing! ☺

Feedback: What do you think? What’s missing (bearing in mind that we want to lay a solid foundation for the organization and for the architecture work)?