Six Feet Up

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, companies that master the intersection of software development and scientific innovation stand at the forefront of progress. Six Feet Up, a woman-owned software company founded in 1998, has built a remarkable track record of transforming complex scientific concepts into practical applications across multiple industries. Through their innovative approach to software engineering and project management, the company has completed nine "IMPACTFUL Projects" in domains ranging from space exploration to carbon emissions reduction, demonstrating their unique capability to bridge the gap between cutting-edge science and actionable solutions.

This technical article examines the core elements of Six Feet Up's development methodology, from their choice of programming languages to their sophisticated Kubernetes deployment framework. We'll explore how their BEST development process transforms complex software projects into reality, while their Flex6 project management framework ensures projects stay on time and within budget. Along the way, we'll uncover the company's unconventional approaches to hiring, team management, and innovation, all supported by their proprietary tools like Scaf and Tilt.

Through detailed examination of their technical infrastructure and development practices, this article reveals the secrets behind Six Feet Up's unprecedented success rate in delivering complex software solutions. Whether you're a software developer, project manager, or simply fascinated by innovation at the intersection of technology and science, you'll find valuable insights into what makes Six Feet Up a standout player in the software development landscape.

Company Background and Mission

As a woman-owned software company founded in 1998, Six Feet Up brings unparalleled expertise to launch transformative software solutions faster. Their mission is ambitious yet precise: contribute to 100 IMPACTFUL Projects by 2033, projects defined as impressive, purposeful, and advanced.

Their journey has been marked by significant achievements already - nine completed IMPACTFUL projects across groundbreaking domains including space exploration, lightning strike predictions, forest fire management, genetic engineering, battery energy storage, agricultural data accessibility, and carbon emission reduction. The company's impressive track record demonstrates their impact in making complex science accessible and actionable for various industries.

At the heart of their operation is a woman-owned and operated business that values a unique blend of emotional and intellectual intelligence, creating a business environment that prioritizes human connection alongside technical excellence. This approach extends beyond the technical realm, influencing every aspect of their operations from project management to team building.

Technology and Development Practices

At the core of Six Feet Up's technological approach is Python, chosen for its flexibility and extensive library support. The company leverages this foundation to build robust applications across multiple domains, from environmental monitoring systems to advanced genetic engineering solutions.

The company's development framework, BEST (Best Enterprise Software Techniques), represents a rigorous 25-year evolution in software process improvement. This comprehensive framework spans four distinct stages—Build, Execute, Streamline, and Transform—each addressing critical aspects of software development through 19 detailed units.

Development Tools and Processes

To streamline development and deployment workflows, Six Feet Up developed Scaf, a project bootstrap tool that sets up all necessary infrastructure including web servers, databases, and Kubernetes clusters. This framework integrates seamlessly with Tilt for continuous development and deployment, enabling rapid iteration and testing.

The company's project management process, Flex6, represents a hybrid approach combining traditional Waterfall planning with Agile implementation. The structured Waterfall phase begins with comprehensive game planning that includes technical approach, complexity scoring, budget estimates, and project scheduling. The subsequent Agile phase employs daily standups, sprint planning, and iterative development to maintain flexibility and client engagement.

Technical Infrastructure

Scaf's robust technical foundation leverages Talos Linux for secure container operations, with secrets encrypted using Kubernetes Sealed Secrets and stored in a 1Password vault for secure access. The framework employs a three-layer Kustomize structure for Kubernetes deployment, featuring Local Postgres databases and CloudNativePG for production-level reliability.

The development stack combines React for dynamic frontend development and Django for backend services, with production support via Redis and Mailhog for improved performance and email testing. Continuous deployment relies on ArgoCD and Traefik, with secure connections managed through Certmanager and Ingress Routes. Monitoring and logging are powered by Kube Prometheus Stack and Grafana Loki, while CI/CD pipelines support both GitHub and Bitbucket for image management and Terraform for AWS cluster setup.

Development Efficiency

From startup to deployment, Scaf enables rapid development cycles. A Django application can transition from development to Kubernetes in less than 30 seconds, facilitating quick iterations and continuous improvement. The framework's focus on early-stage deployment across various environments reduces development complexity and cognitive load for engineering teams. Six Feet Up's development practices have achieved significant efficiency gains, with the average development cycle reduced by 30% since framework implementation.

Project Management and Agile Methodology

The company's project management process, Flex6, represents a hybrid approach combining traditional Waterfall planning with Agile implementation. This 25-year-evolved framework enables the delivery of projects on time and within budget while fostering meaningful relationships with stakeholders through iterative client engagement.

Process Stages

The six-stage process consists of Build, Execute, Streamline, and Transform phases, each addressing critical aspects of software development through 19 detailed units. These stages deliver comprehensive guidance on team building, environment setup, security, automation, and continuous improvement.

Implementation

Each project undergoes two structured checkpoints (Pit Stops) and a 360° Retrospective, serving as built-in quality and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) improvement mechanisms. The team, composed of experienced software engineers with 10-25+ years of expertise in cognitive, conative, and consultative roles, employs daily cross-project standups for knowledge sharing and subject-matter expert consultations when needed.

Team Structure

The development process emphasizes continuous personal and professional growth through shared learning. Technical roadmaps are collaboratively reviewed to ensure practicality and future adaptability. Six Feet Up's guiding principles prioritize open communication, transparency, diversity, equity, and inclusion to support long-term sustainable growth.

Agile Elements

The framework incorporates daily standups, sprint planning, and iterative development to maintain flexibility and client engagement. Weekly Pulse Meetings ensure ongoing alignment throughout project lifecycles, supporting the company's commitment to impactful software solutions.

Remote Operations

Six Feet Up has maintained remote operations since their inception, facilitated by their minimal paper-based documentation and early adoption of virtual collaboration tools. Their comprehensive remote operating model, developed over two decades, enables efficient project execution while maintaining high standards of development practice and automated deployment workflows.

Team and Culture

Six Feet Up's commitment to a human-friendly work environment extends to every aspect of their operations, from technical equipment to company culture. Team members benefit from flexible work arrangements, including the option to manage personal matters during business hours through designated "catch-up" periods. This approach has proven particularly resilient, with team members successfully handling emergencies in diverse settings such as hospitals, gas stations, pedicure spas, medical offices, cruise ships, and even taekwondo tournaments.

The company maintains an inclusive and diverse workforce by actively seeking team members with uncommon backgrounds and characteristics, while maintaining a commitment to gender and age balance within the staff. Their hiring process employs a data-driven approach, beginning with the Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment to measure fundamental personality traits and predict workplace behaviors. Following this, candidates participate in a brief video call to assess communication skills and remote work compatibility, followed by the Kolbe Index assessment to understand natural problem-solving approaches. The process culminates with comprehensive evaluations using the Working Genius assessment to gauge potential contributions beyond technical skills.

The ShipIt Week initiative, inspired by Daniel Pink's "ShipIt Days" concept, serves as a cornerstone of their innovative culture, allowing employees to work on personal projects that add value to the company. These projects, which can range from new ideas to product prototypes or improvements to office functions, receive full support from the company's tools and resources. This approach has been instrumental in fostering a culture of continuous innovation and improvement, with the company maintaining an equal opportunity policy that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.

Development Frameworks and Tools

Scaf represents a comprehensive project bootstrap tool developed by Six Feet Up to streamline development and deployment workflows while reducing cognitive load for engineering teams. At its core, Scaf leverages Talos Linux, a highly secure, immutable, and minimal Linux distribution tailored for Kubernetes environments, with secrets encrypted using the Kubernetes Sealed Secrets operator and stored in a 1Password vault for secure access.

The framework adopts a three-layer Kubernetes manifest structure via Kustomize, specifically designed for deployment across various environments from the project's inception. This tiered approach facilitates deployment of a Django application on Kubernetes within less than 30 seconds, demonstrating the framework's efficiency in rapid development cycles. The base technology stack combines React for dynamic frontend development and Django for backend services, supported by Local Postgres databases and CloudNativePG for production-level reliability.

Deployment operations rely on ArgoCD and Traefik for continuous deployment services, with secure connections managed through Certmanager and Ingress Routes. Monitoring and logging functions are powered by Kube Prometheus Stack and Grafana Loki, while CI/CD pipelines support both GitHub and Bitbucket for image management and Terraform for AWS cluster setup.

The development process emphasizes early-stage deployment across multiple environments, with production support via Redis and Mailhog for enhanced performance and email testing. Scaf's robust technical foundation has enabled significant efficiency gains, achieving a 30% reduction in average development cycles since its implementation. The framework continues to evolve based on user feedback and ongoing enhancements, incorporating best practices refined through decades of experience in software development automation.