How to make hiring and working with software developers less risky (with Adam Cogan and Adam Stephensen)

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Marlon Marescia was joined by SSW Chief Architect Adam Cogan and SSW Solution Architect Adam Stephensen for a Webinar on the 25th of October

Software development is risky. SSW has worked with hundreds of clients over the last 20 years. We understand that undertaking a new software project introduces many risks to you and your company. That’s why we want to share with you some key points on how you can lower that risk.

In this webinar, you will learn:

The key questions to ask prospective software consultants
The best project management methodology for delivering cost effective software
How to manage software consultants
The #1 way to ensure your software project is successful
The pros and cons of fixed price and time and materials contracts

If you have any questions comment in the comment box below, or alternatively email Marlon Marescia at marlon@ssw.com.au

About the speakers

The Experts

Adam Cogan is the Chief Architect at SSW, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner specializing in custom .NET, SharePoint and CRM solutions (with a splash of Business Intelligence). At SSW, Adam has been developing custom solutions for businesses across a range of industries such as Government, engineering, banking, insurance and manufacturing since 1990 for clients such as Microsoft, Worley Parsons and Aurecon.

Adam Stephensen is a Solution Architect at SSW with a decade of experience performing needs analysis, designing and building scalable, database-driven, distributed enterprise solutions incorporating web and windows interfaces.

Marlon Marescia is the Sales Manager at SSW. His hands on experience with Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET, SharePoint, Microsoft CRM and Office add-ins help give him insight into how we can solve our clients business challenges. Marlon's past work as a consultant, building and implementing strategic and operational plans within small to medium businesses gives him a unique understanding of our client's needs.

Treat Your Code Like Uranium | Adam Cogan

Adam Cogan shares a striking story comparing two World War II factories—one ordinary, one handling uranium—and the surprising lesson that the uranium workers lived longer because they followed disciplined, risk-aware practices. He connects that idea to software teams: the best outcomes come from careful habits like automated tests, telemetry, pull requests, retrospectives, shared rules, and good tools. The message is simple: treat software delivery with the same respect as dangerous work, and you’ll reduce stress, avoid chaos, and get better results.

3 Tips for Better Video Recordings | Adam Cogan

Great coaching can dramatically improve how you present, communicate, and learn. In this video, Adam Cogan shares 3 practical coaching tips that SSW uses every day—from onboarding and role plays to improving video delivery. He explains why having a coach matters, why immediate interruption beats delayed feedback, and how repeating corrections helps lock in better habits.

TinaCMS + Fumadocs: Bring Visual Editing to Your Docs | Hark Singh

Discover how to connect Playwright with AI agents and unlock powerful workflows.

Stop Using 👍 Wrong in Teams | Adam Cogan

A quick communication tip from Adam Cogan: don’t use 👍 as a catch-all response when someone assigns you a task in Teams, Slack, or Google Chat. In the example Adam gives, if a task will take about five minutes, a thumbs up is too ambiguous because it does not clearly say whether you’ve read it, agree with it, are doing it now, or will do it later. Instead, use 👍 for agreement, 👀 to show you’ve seen the task and are actively working on it, and then replace 👀 with ✅ once the task is done. It is a small change, but it removes ambiguity and cuts down unnecessary follow-up messages.

How to record a done video in SSW | Sylvia Huang | SSW Rules

Sylvia Huang from SSW shares her SSW Cultural Exchange experience from Hangzhou, China to Australia

4 Essential Sales Tips for Engineers | Adam Cogan

Not a salesman? No problem. Adam Cogan shares 4 practical tips to help engineers navigate sales meetings with confidence. Learn how to stop “selling” and start solving, how to talk numbers without the awkwardness, and why being transparent about your process wins more clients.

Do you explain why you’ve deleted or updated an appointment? | Adam Cogan | SSW Rules

Ever wonder why a meeting was moved or cancelled? Adam Cogan explains the “Secret Ingredient” to professional scheduling: always include a version history and reason for change at the top of your appointments. Improve clarity, keep a record of changes, and hold participants accountable with this simple SSW Rule.

Chat first before changing others’ code | Adam Cogan

Changing someone else’s code? Don’t just dive in! Adam explains why it’s important to check the source history and talk to the original developer before making changes. A quick chat can save headaches and keep everyone on the same page. Perfect advice for devs working in teams!