This week we had our mid-cycle demo. One theme that is top of mind for us is how we learn by doing. We test by shipping something small, but of value. This might be as simple as a prototype to gather feedback.

Our top bet this cycle is that databases can provide the source information for custom workflows and multiplayer activities. We’re pouring the foundations for the codebase, the UI and the UX in order to make way for these workflows in Parabol. But it’s important to ship something valuable and learn as we go. We’re working toward introducing simple databases that can import and export data, while testing prototypes of our data-shaping activities.

Along with these efforts we’re exploring how we can use support data to inspire learnings and workflow UX, we’re designing stand-alone, anonymous activities, and we’re working to make Pages easier to share and more secure.

Database foundations

We’re working on a simple database feature that works directly with the various activity types in Parabol. Teams will be able to use these workflows to analyze, shape, and gather insights from the data. Under the hood we have a working prototype. This will be a primary way to import and export data into and out of Parabol. We’re exploring how folks navigate versions of the data.

Customer support learnings

We’ve worked on exporting our customer support data to analyze and gather insights that inform how we can better serve customers and where the frictions lie in our product. Our bet is that these advanced workflows are hard to set up without specialized tools. We’re hoping to make this easier for your average team, so we’re doing it for ourselves to learn the ins and outs.

New activity modules

As we continue to explore activities that can integrate with each other, we’re looking to test some of our assumptions and designs by offering stand-alone activities that can be quickly set up and run anonymously with family, friends, or work colleagues. Maybe folks need to plan a next vacation, take a quick poll around the office, or set up for a hobby project. These tools will help us learn what is working for folks in the simplest form factor without needing to onboard with enterprise software.

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Originally published as Parabol Friday Ship #466