ON24

When tasked with taking over the ON24 website from a previous agency, I was responsible for ensuring a smooth transition of ownership while maintaining the site's stability and performance. ON24 is a long-standing project that the company continues to service today, requiring a deep understanding of its architecture, dependencies, and overall functionality. This handover involved auditing the existing codebase, identifying areas for optimisation, and establishing best practices for ongoing development and maintenance. By taking ownership, we ensured that the website remained reliable, scalable, and adaptable to future needs while continuing to deliver value to both the client and its users.

Getting it up and running

As part of the transition, I migrated the ON24 website to a GitHub-based CI/CD workflow, ensuring a more efficient and structured development process. This involved setting up the repository, branching strategies, and automated deployment pipelines, allowing for seamless integration, testing, and deployment of updates. Additionally, I managed the transfer of ownership, ensuring the client had full control over their infrastructure while maintaining our ability to provide ongoing support and development. To foster collaboration and transparency, I also established weekly meetings with the client, creating a direct line of communication to discuss updates, priorities, and any technical challenges, ensuring the project remained aligned with their business goals.

What happens day to day as the project lead:

Once the ON24 website was fully migrated and operational, the day-to-day workflow became a structured routine focused on monitoring, development, and collaboration to ensure smooth operations and continued improvements.

• Morning Operations Review

  • The day starts with a review of overnight operations to check for any system issues, errors, or performance concerns.

  • If any problems are identified, they are investigated promptly to determine whether immediate action is required or if they can be scheduled for later resolution.

• Morning Standup with the Team

  • A daily standup meeting is held to get updates on ongoing development work and any new client requests.

  • Any issues from the previous night are discussed, and tasks are either delegated to the team or taken on directly if they require immediate resolution.

• Development on Current Initiatives

  • The majority of the morning is dedicated to active development on current projects, whether improving existing features, optimising performance, or building out new client-requested functionality.

• Lunch Break

  • A well-balanced meal from Aldi, typically consisting of smoked fish, rice, salad, and olive oil, provides a healthy refuel before tackling the afternoon's tasks.

• Progress Check-in with the Team

  • A midday status check ensures that all team members are on track with their assigned initiatives.

  • If any project is falling behind schedule, additional motivation, guidance, or pair programming is provided to resolve blockers efficiently.

• Afternoon Development

  • The afternoon continues with focused development, refining features, fixing bugs, and ensuring that tasks stay aligned with deadlines and quality expectations.

• End-of-Day Status Update

  • Before wrapping up, all staff provide a final status update on their progress.

  • A summary report is sent to the client, keeping them informed on completed tasks, ongoing work, and any pending issues.

This cycle repeats daily, ensuring smooth operations and continuous development.

Additionally, Mondays serve as a strategic planning day where we meet with the client to kick off new initiatives. These are scheduled for the upcoming week, but if we are ahead of schedule, they may be picked up early to maintain momentum and deliver value faster.