7 ASP.NET vNext Features You’re Guaranteed to Love

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This was an extremely informative video, where Scott Hanselman discusses and demos some of the key features we can expect in ASP.NET vNext.

If you decide to give yourself the gift of time by choosing to skip watching the video, I have captured some of the highlights of his presentation.

The presentation starts with Scott listing some trending feedback that is currently circling in the software industry. His points were extremely valid and I’m going to list some of them for references to help set the tone for why the ASP.NET vNext features complement the development for next generation software.

Developers are saying…

Our role is more important than ever before

We are required to innovate and deliver much faster

I need a cross-platform mobile development strategy

Based on this developer feedback, Microsoft is clearly heading in the right direction for enabling developers to leverage their tooling to develop enterprise grade software with rapid iteration cycles. Enough of the build up, let’s jump right into some of the ASP.NET vNext features we can expect from Microsoft in the near future.

1. Running ASP.NET vNext.NET Apps on Localhost of a Mac

In order to fully appreciate this feature, you must have the experience of trying to develop using Microsoft technology on your OS X. I have much appreciation for this feature since I have had to install and maintain a Windows VM for ASP.NET development on my Mac.

The demo of this feature proved that you will have the ability to load your web application via the command line. Once loaded, you can go to localhost (on your Mac), and view you ASP.NET application (remember, on your Mac). That’s pretty nice.

2. Side-by-Side .NET Framework Compatibility

In .NET vNext, you will have the ability to run multiple versions of the .NET Framework side-by-side without any issues whatsoever – well, ideally without any issues =]. This feature may not be as flashy as some of the others, but this may be more beneficial that it might appear initially.

Have you ever wanted to use a new feature that would boost the productivity of you and your development team – just to find out that you are not running the version of the framework that allows you to leverage the feature in all it’s glory. I know that feeling.

The purpose of this feature is to allow you to push the envelop when you hit a similar roadblock. The difference is that you will have the ability to see if you can update your application to the required framework version, without putting the stability of your other applications on the web server in question.

3. ASP.NET vNext Goes A La Carte

ASP.NET vNext will give you the ability to only include the portions of the framework that are required to run your application. This will give you the opportunity to reduce the footprint of your applications by removing the pieces of the framework that are not in use within your project.

This somewhat subtle enhancement has the potential to reduce the load time of your application since your app will only load the framework references it needs.

4. No More Local Development Builds (Like Magic)

When I saw this feature, I immediately imagined the boost in productivity I would experience. In the demo, Scott demonstrates how you would be able to make changes in Visual Studio (VS) and have them instantly take effect in the browser without you having to initiate a rebuild.

We have been able to do this when changes are made to our HTML files for some time now, however, the demo shows that you will be able to change compiled code files without performing a manual rebuild.

In the demo, this was proven when Scott changed a C# file in notepad, hit refresh in the browser, and the changes took effect. He then explained that this is possible because the assemblies that were originally in the bin directory are no longer in the bin directory – I’ll let that simmer a little.

Yeah, you heard me right, there will no longer be assemblies in your ASP.NET vNext application bin directory. I know, that’s crazy-talk. If you don’t watch the video for any other reason, it’s worth taking a peak to satisfy your curiosity.

5. Optimized for Devices vs. The Cloud

Simply put this means that .NET Framework will be optimized for the client and the cloud. Client apps, such as Windows Store, Windows Forms, and Console apps. This will streamline the footprint of your client applications with no effort on your part.

In regards to the cloud, your .NET applications that are running in the cloud, such as ASP.NET vNext Web Forms, MVC, Web Pages, Web API, SignalR, and WCF, will be optimized for high-throughput. So, you can expect better performance from your cloud services, once again with no effort on your part.

6. Apache Cordova Tooling in Visual Studio

Apache Cordova is a platform for building cross-platform applications with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that can be packaged to run inside a a native mobile device (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, etc.).

This technology has been peaking my interest for some time now because of the idea of leveraging my existing skill set to write cross platform mobile applications.

7. Debugging the Cloud from Your Local VS Environment

Having the ability to debug your code in the cloud drastically simplifies the development of of your cloud services. It’s always ideal to test your code in a production like environment.

So, this bring this concept to reality by allowing you to use a service like Azure Websites to host your application and literally debug your code as if it is running on your local machine. Based on what I saw in the demo, this will require you to setup your own Virtual Private Network (VPN) in Azure.

I’m not sure how trivial the setup of the VPN is in reality. However, if I have the need to setup my own VPN and it’s not as straightforward as one would hope, I’ll share my experience with the hope of saving you some time. Once it’s setup, this is an extremely powerful feature that will allow you take your cloud development skills to the next level.

Wrapping It Up

Now that you have heard a few of the highlights of what you can expect from ASP.NET vNext. I hope you found this article beneficial. If so, let me know what you think below and let’s kick off the conversation.

3 Things You Must Consider Before Starting a Business

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Design Patterns Business Cards by Michael Kappel
Design Patterns Business Cards by Michael Kappel

Have you ever considered starting a business? Maybe, you’re considering starting another business? If so, I’m sure there have been a ton of questions going through your mind while deciding if it’s going to be a go or a no-go.

Making the decision to start the business is only half the battle. If this is unfamiliar territory, this is something you will learn early on in your startup. You can easily find yourself getting consumed with designing your logo, creating your website, making business cards, and much much more.

While these items have their place, there are a few critical questions to consider before diving head first into your new venture.

Here are the three questions to consider before starting a business:

  1. Have you defined the mission and vision for your business?

  2. Are you clear on your priorities and non-negotiables?

  3. Are you committed to put in the time?

I decided to first share the questions to consider to get you thinking. Now, let’s breakdown each question and how it’s relevant to ensuring you get off on the right track.

1. Have You Defined the Mission and Vision for Your Business?

It all starts as an idea of the product or service offering you would like to bring to market. You probably have a vague sense of what the purpose for product or service, however, being vague on something like this can be problematic.

Without having clear understanding of your WHY, it will increasingly become more and more difficult to maintain your focus as you continue your entrepreneurial journey.

When you a just getting started, it’s easier to plow through the uncertainty because it’s all new to you.

However, this approach starts to breakdown after the initial excitement wears off and you realize that starting this business is going to be more work than you initially anticipated.

Now, you are prime candidate for clearly defining your mission and vision for your business. In the early stages of starting a business, you will find yourself with the temptation of taking your business in a million directions, all at the same time.

This is extremely problematic. You will find yourself bouncing from idea to idea.

Starting everything and never finishing anything. This can and will cause you to burnout before you reach the end of your first month in business.

Your mission and vision will provide you with a filter that you can apply to every potential business opportunity that comes your way. This filter helps you to determine if you should pursue a particular business idea, table it for later, or even trash it all together.

Time is the one commodity that you can never get back. So, wasting time pursuing ideas that line up with your vision for you company is not an option.

I’ll outline how to create your mission and vision statements in later posts. For now, understanding that having a mission and vision for your company is a core component for guiding future business decisions and helping you maintain laser focus.

2. Are You Clear on Your Priorities and Non-Negotiables?

Starting a business has it’s rewards, however it also has it’s challenges. You have to be careful not to allow the challenges to outweigh the rewards. This is sometimes (actually most times) easier said than done.

You will constantly find yourself in positions that challenge you to find more hours in the day to get things done. The severity of this is determined by your current lifestyle. Are you married? Do you have any kids? If so, how many?

The general idea is that the more involved your personal life, whether it be family and/or friends, there will be times were you will have to make the hard decision to work on your business over spending time with them.

However, be careful. This can be a slippery slope, and this is where most people lose their footing.

Even though you will be faced with having to consistently dedicate time to work on your business, you cannot neglect those that are most important to you – your family and friends. In my opinion, it’s no fun achieving success and not having anyone to share it with.

I’m not willing to compromise and you have to be the same way.

That doesn’t mean, you have to choose one over the other. However, it does mean you have to be intentional about everything you do, every place you go, and every relationship you invest in and be sure it’s time well spent based on your priorities – what’s most important to you?

3. Are You Committed to Putting in the Time?

Starting a business requires a tremendous level of commitment. If that’s not understood from the start, you will find yourself frequently considering throwing in the towel.

The commitment required is not something that can be achieved on accident, you must be intentional about it. This is the only way you will have a fighting chance at achieving your goals in the business, without having to sacrifice everything else.

I would recommend scheduling time each week that can be dedicated to working solely on your business. Consistency is key here. You want to make sure that you are always making progress.

Remember, this is not a sprint. It’s a marathon and you are in this for the long haul.

I would recommend spending the bare minimum of 7-10 hours a week. That is an average of about 1.5 hours a day, which is pretty reasonable.

If you are able to dedicate more time, go for it. If you have a day-job and this is something you will be doing part-time, aim to dedicate 20 hours ore more.

When making your decision on how much time to dedicate to your business, remember you do have other obligations. If you take the stance that sacrificing your relationships and health are not an option, you have to schedule the time and commit to it.

My Questions for You

After reading about the three things to consider, I hope they have got you thinking. Answering these questions can put you in the proper mindset that will have a positive impact on making steady progress as you start your business.

Share your thoughts and feedback below in the comments below.

3 Steps to Getting More Done and Achieving Wild Success

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Time Lost by Matt Gibson
Time Lost by Matt Gibson

Success is one of those things that we all desire to achieve on some level. In most cases, it all starts with a dream.

I’m sure you can recall a lifelong dream that you would love to experience. If your dream has already sprouted into reality, you are one of the minority. The sad truth is, that is not how it works out for most people.

The reality of achieving success is more straightforward than you may think. We all can have different ideas for what we consider success to be, which means success can be realized in different ways.

We first have to start with clarifying the definition of success. So, what is success? For the sake of this post, let’s define success as the following:

Success – the accomplishment of an aim or purpose

Now that we have defined success, think about what success means to you. Once you have determined the success you desire, you have to give yourself permission to dream, or dream again if this is familiar to you. Let’s start with thinking about what your dream life would look like 15, 20, or even 30 years from now.

Whatever that dream life is to you, you should consider that to be your vision. Now, let’s talk about how to turn that vision into a reality.

Here are the three secrets to achieving wild success and realizing your dreams:

  1. Commit your vision to writing. Dreams become more concrete once they are written down. It’s like putting a stake in the ground and owning up to whatever is required to make that dream happen.

    You can do this by simply brainstorming in detail what would have to be true in order to feel your dreams have come true. Remember, think BIG and don’t limit your thinking.

  2. Translate your vision into goals. Goals allow you to break your BIG dreams into manageable chunks. Be sure to create S.M.A.R.T goals. A smart goal is specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound.

    For example, I will increase my annual income by 25% by the end of this year.

  3. Take action today. This is often the hardest part. However, after you have broken your BIG vision in to goals, you have increased the odds of making it happen. To prevent overwhelm, select the one goal that means the most to you and focus on it until it’s completed.

    Review this list regularly and keep track of your progress. Feel free to pursue additional goals as you get into the swing of things, but don’t take on to much. You will be amazed at how much you get accomplished with this approach.

I challenge you to take action and walk through these three steps. If you take action, your probability of success drastically increases. Be committed to your dream, translate those dreams into goals, then simply make it happen.

Please share your experiences in the comments below as you apply these steps in your journey to achieving the level of success you desire.

I look forward to hearing what things you are able to accomplish by deciding to go for it.

Doubt Will Come, Don’t Let it Hold You Back

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Stricken with Self-Doubt by Luc De Leeuw
Stricken with Self-Doubt by Luc De Leeuw

I would have never imagined having so many thoughts of uncertainty about starting this blog. I find myself questioning my decision to jump out here and just go for it. And the thoughts – they are flooding in.

It’s like a roller coaster ride. One minute I’m amped up that I’m finally making it happen. The next minute, I’m questioning if I am taking the right approach with the blog.

My current blogging schedule is to publish 2 posts a week. One on Monday morning, and the other on Thursday morning. Here it is Monday night, and I’m finally getting around to typing up this post.

Is This Normal?

As much as I don’t like the thought of this, it is. It’s actually perfectly normal. I have heard other entrepreneurs explain how they have found themselves feeling paralyzed at times during their journey. You would think that knowing this is a normal thing would make it little easier. I’ve noticed that’s no walk in the park fighting through the negative thoughts.

And the thoughts won’t stop until you choose to stop listening – and that’s easier said than done. If you’re not careful you will find yourself feeling defeated if you don’t address your thinking. Let me share with you how I go about overcoming the doubt to get things done.

How to Overcome the Doubt

I have listed four mental steps to walkthrough to help you shake the doubt:

  • Trust your judgment. Trust yourself after you have done all the necessary preparation. There comes a time where you have to let the rubber meet the road and see what happens. If you felt good about the direction at the start, chances are you’ll be just fine.

  • Embrace the uncertainty. Realize the source of the doubt is rooted in the fact that nothing is guaranteed. Waking up every morning is included in that nothing, but you don’t find yourself doubting that every night. Focus on the things you can control and disregard the rest.

  • Stay positive. Focus on the positive “what-if” scenarios. Avoid entertaining negative thoughts like the plague. They only make things worse.

  • Keep putting one foot in front of the other. I know that achieving success in anything, is not an overnight thing (even though TV makes it appear otherwise). True success is built by consistently doing what’s necessary every day to push you one step closer to your goal.

Dust Yourself Off

I’m overly critical of myself at times when I don’t meet the expectations I’ve set for myself. I feel like kicking myself when I’m not on track with the tasks I’ve set for myself. When you find yourself in this place, make the decision not to stay there long. Dust yourself off, and get back in the game. What’s the worst that could happen – you might actually succeed.

My Question for You:

When was the last time you felt doubt trying to creep in and cause you consider throwing in the towel? Share how you overcome the doubt and found the strength to keep pushing forward in the comments below.

How to Start Any Project in 4 Easy Steps

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Project Success by Ken Fager
Project Success by Ken Fager

Why is it so hard to start a new project or venture?

Well, it’s hard when you have to start anything new. There is a link between starting something new and the changes that the new venture will bring. If we are unaware of that link, it will be harder to overcome the feelings of overwhelm, which are perfectly normal.

Most people hate change. For good reason, it’s uncomfortable. Things are much easier when you know what to expect. The only way you can know what to expect is if you have some experience with similar projects. However, in those occasions where the project is new territory, you have to come up with a game plan. I know, some people are allergic to planning anything. If that happens to be you, hear me out. You might find this approach acceptable.

Let’s walkthrough the steps to starting any project:

1. Relax and Take a Deep Breath

This first step is key, because it allows you to set the tone for the remaining steps. It’s important to understand that the sky isn’t falling. If you are not careful, fear and anxiety will prevent you from ever taking that first step and getting started.

2. Brainstorm Tasks to Complete

The rule is that you must write down EVERYTHING that comes to mind for your project. Avoid analyzing your thoughts because that will stifle your creativity. The goal in this step is quantity not quality.

There are several approaches to brainstorming. So, pick the one that best suites you. You can go low-tech using a pencil and paper or high-tech using a digital tool like a word processor. Even though I’m more of a high-tech guy, I still find myself being more productive at times using nothing more than pencil and paper.

Give yourself a set time to brainstorm, for example, three minutes. If you happen to have a timer handy, it would be ideal to set it for your desired brainstorming time. Now you are ready to start. Check the clock for your start time, or simply click start on your time and start brainstorming.

Ok, times up. You should have a list of potential tasks to be completed for your project and you’re ready for the next step.

3. Create Your Action Plan

You have already done all the hard work of getting all your thoughts on paper. This is the easy part. You have to review your list of tasks and create your project outline. This outline will show the order your tasks should be completed.

There will obvious relationships that jump out at you from your list of tasks. Be sure to organize them in the order in which they should be completed.

For example, if you were brainstorming getting dressed in the morning. You wouldn’t place putting your shoes on before putting on your pants.

Keep it simple this first time around. This list of project outline has allowed you to produce your custom action plan for your project.

4. Just Do It

The planning is done, and its’ time to take action. This is where most people stumble. However, you have taken the necessary steps to increase your odds of completing this project. All because you have a plan.

We all have lives that make us feel at times that everything around us is spinning out of control. In most cases those feelings are true. However, there are ways to fight through the clutter and regain control and perspective. I know that overwhelmed feeling. I also know that if you completed each of the steps outlined here, you are ready to overcome your overwhelm.

Take Action

Focus on one item from your action plan at a time and forget about all the other tasks. This will allow you to have laser focus on the task at hand. Once that task is completed, you can move on to the next item. Repeat this process and before you know it, you will be ready to take on your next project.

I wish you the best. Please enter the project you are about to start below. I would love to see what exciting projects you are about to launch.