This week the group has finally come together to create the pieces necessary for our next giant step forward. Backing off and allowing the team to do what they need to do seems to be exactly what they needed to buckle down and get their looming action items done.

I have started two J-School modules this week. Motion Graphics Storytelling and Data Scraping for Journalists. This has been a chance for me to expand the audience for TANDEM to more likeminded graduate students interested in work that includes pictures and images, signage, and infographics. There seems to be an interest in anything that generates data among the J-School folks. Data journalism’s growing popularity brought forth an understanding and conversation about the tool that I had not expected.

As for the bumps in the road I have been experiencing as project manager over the past few weeks, I think it’s safe to say we are moving past them. Behind us, the group is feeling a renewed energy. Our email chains are much brighter and show the drive and heart that was beginning to lag. We needed to collectively see moving pieces begin to click together to feel success. TANDEM officially generates data on the server and has MVP functionality. TANDEM 0.5 is a few weeks away and the components are finally on the table. Theoretical conversations have manifested tangible results and it’s safe to say, we’re gonna be just fine.