February 2023 Summaries

The text discusses a playbook for handling database migrations at incident.io. It involves creating new data models, writing to both old and new models, starting to read from the new model, and finally dropping the old data model. A detailed example of migrating incident statuses is provided. This approach allows for smooth transitions between old and new systems, reduces risks during switchovers, and can be completed quickly with proper planning and execution.

The text discusses how to set up a successful cold outbound motion for technical products without alienating potential customers. It emphasizes the importance of being human in all interactions and provides actionable advice on what not to do, such as hounding prospects with too many touchpoints, sending generic messages, invading personal space, writing lengthy emails, using disingenuous tactics, or pushing too hard for a sale. Instead, it recommends personalizing messages, respecting boundaries, keeping communications short and easy to understand, and knowing when to stop engaging with a prospect who is not interested. The long-term goal is to provide a stellar experience for potential customers and build goodwill towards the brand.

Incident.io held a "Game Day" to practice responding to larger and more severe incidents, which are less familiar than smaller ones. The day was split into two parts: a tabletop exercise in the morning, where hypothetical incidents were discussed, and some simulations in the afternoon. Participants found the experience valuable as it improved their processes, response skills, and even provided new insights into their own product. The Game Day involved six responders from on-call rotations, members of the Customer Success team, and the CTO. Communication was identified as the most challenging aspect during the day, with coordination of humans and roles coming a close second.

Incident management platform incident.io has released several new features in February, including the ability to export post-mortems directly into Google Docs, use webhooks for pushing data to an app's endpoint, and integration with Datadog for pulling information about triggered alerts. Additionally, Single Sign-On via SAML is now enabled, allowing users to access their incident.io dashboards using their current SAML provider. The platform also emphasizes the importance of transparency in all aspects of day-to-day operations and encourages non-technical teams to declare incidents as well.

Transparency in a company's culture can significantly improve productivity, collaboration, and customer satisfaction. However, transparency should not be implemented as a catchall solution but rather as part of an overall strategy to promote open communication and understanding within the organization. Silos can hinder transparency and lead to frustration among employees, affecting retention and ultimately customers. To implement transparency effectively, it is crucial to answer why it is necessary and how it will benefit everyone involved. Transparency should be a cultural staple rather than a one-off experiment, with tools like Notion encouraging open planning and communication across teams.

Anna is a new member of the incident.io team in London, where she serves as the Office and People Coordinator. Prior to this role, she worked as a hairdresser and salon manager for 10 years before moving from Chicago suburbs to London in 2021. She then joined Farewill as their Office and Events Manager, which solidified her interest in startup life. In her free time, Anna enjoys dancing at gigs, eating Pad Thai, drinking oat lattes, going for walks near the sea, and writing poetry.

Many businesses limit incident management tools to their technical teams, but non-technical departments should also use them for better communication and response during incidents. By categorizing issues as incidents across all functions, companies can gain valuable insights into recurring problems and improve efficiency in resolving them. Using a simple and customizable tool like incident.io can help non-technical teams feel empowered to declare incidents quickly and work together with technical teams for effective resolution.

When reviewing an incident, focus on the following key points for quick and actionable information: 1) What is the incident? 2) What is its potential impact? 3) What are the timelines related to the incident? 4) Who is on the incident response team? 5) What actions are being taken to resolve the incident? Utilize tools like subscriptions features for real-time updates without disrupting workflows.