Udemy Software Release Process

Greg C. never answered this question. So, I'd like to open it up to Udemy as a whole.

Is Udemy likely to realize any time soon that you're a software development company and start acting like one?

I'd love to see a list of planned features "ahead of time", have "regular scheduled" releases of your software, see release notes for that release, see your software tested by those other than your instructors?

As it is now, you software developers break what little we have to provide us with new user interfaces we don't need. In the meantime we're anxiously awaiting bundled courses and drip content and other missing features in your platform. I've never heard of a Udemy instructor being asked for what features they'd like to see.

How do we find out about new features? They appear one day and we may or may not find them. I usually find out about new features because a feature I depend on is now broken.

Your product release process is an absolute mess.

---Brian

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Comments

csking1981

Hi Brian;

Thanks for your topic.

Based on my last 20 years of programming Udemy is in right path.

Why?

1- Udemy team is great and i love their effort and platform.It's really user friendly.

2- Changes in a site or software is based on users feedbacks & roadmap of Udemy and it's exactly correct.

3- At the first look many of tools that we can see in the updates are unnecessary but after a time we will undstand the reality of them.

4- The process of developing a platform ( software or web site) is realy hard job and the process of using it is simplest matter in world! so be paitionet and donn't worry about updates and only enjoy your Udemy like me and others!

5- You can easily use online chat with Udemy great agents and tell them your suggestions.

6- Take it easy man and just enjoy it like us.

Regards;

unknown

Still looking for an answer from Udemy...

===Brian

unknown

Wow! I can't believe that this post hasn't had more of a response.

After 40+ years spent in the software development industry, I can guarantee you that Udemy is doing it wrong. Perhaps you're not familiar with a proper software release process, but I certainly am after having worked as an IBM mainframe systems programer, Unix software developer and IOS router software developer for Cisco Systems. This isn't the way it's done.

Instead of logging into Udemy one day and finding everything changed, this is the process that is typically employed by most companies in the software industry:

1) Test the software before releasing it.

2) Restrict the features and bug fixes going into each particluar release.

3) Number each release so we all know what we're talking about.

4) Preceed the release with release notes sent to everyone explaining the upcoming changes.

Two points:

1) Udemy is a software company. They serve we instructors who depend on their services to serve our students.

2) Udemy is doing a poor job of supporting it's instructors through sloppy software release practices.

Disappointed that Udemy has dodged this post entirely.

---Brian

JocelynH

Hey @
, thank you for your patience. I missed this when you first posted it so that's on me. Thanks for bumping.

Udemy is always moving and experimenting a lot. It's what led us to build the largest platform for teaching and learning online in the world. That said, I do hear you that it's jarring to see something new one day, so when a new feature is far-reaching and permanent, we try to announce that in advance. For example, we shared that we would be updating the instructor view and course-taking experience in December and February, respectively. Both experiences were also user-tested and in beta before rolling out to everyone. You can follow the news section of the Teaching Center to see more, such as how we're approaching pricing and taxonomy. We also share these updates in the community. There are always more and better ways we can share this information with instructors, so I've shared your feedback with our team.

A lot of new features do come straight from our instructors. For example, we heard a lot of frustration about adding new lectures to a course so we released the in-line editor last year. Marketplace Insights and the instructor mobile experience are just a few other things that were frequently requested by instructors.

There are always additional features instructors would like to see, and we're gathering that information through the community, support, user research, and more to inform further improvements. Udemy is a multi-sided marketplace, so we have to balance product and engineering needs from instructors, students, UFB clients, and our teams to drive the business forward for all parties.

Thank you again for the feedback!

unknown

@JocelynH

You're right, I complete missed your software release process. Would you please point me to your release notes for your last software release including bugs fixed, new features added and software release version number. Any notes submitted by your test organization would be useful as well. Additionally, I'd like to see the list of software features that you're currently work on with estimated release dates. Regular scheduled (every 3 months) releases would be easiest to digest. Finally, I'd like to formally schedule bundled courses as a feature as soon as possible and receive an incidation of which software release and when it will be released.

Eagerly awaiting your software release information. Thanks,

---Brian

unknown

@JocelynH

Sorry for the snarky answer. I'll accept that Udemy is what it is and attempt to better work within it's framework and guidelines. Sigh...

---Brian

MarkLassoff

I think the mistake here is assuming Udemy sees themselves as a software company. They don't. Software is merely a means by which they deliver the democratization of education.

Software will be at the heart of 80-90% of companies before long. That doesn't mean they abandon their primary mission in favor of engineers' preferred software development process. Sure, there have been points where there were technical problems, but, even with the best engineering, there are technical problems. Facebook was down yesterday morning.

Technology has enabled Udemy to grow and prosper. Doesn't mean their mission and ops need to come from the tech world.

JocelynH

Hey @
, it's all good. I hear where you're coming from and I know you mean well. We're on the same team, and we all want Udemy to continue to evolve and be better in every way possible! I've shared your suggestions and feedback with the team so the right people can take it into consideration