Wide Teams

Podcast #33: Keith Casey of Blue Parabola

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In this episode, Keith Casey of Blue Parabola talks about managing a successful PHP company with  a 100% distributed team, being a buffer zone between corporate and open-source worlds, and what mainstream companies look for in hiring remote workers.

Show Notes:

PHP Architect

Web2Project
CaseySoftware
Twilio

02:06 – Keith Casey introduction and background

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  • Software developer based in Austin Texas
  • Primary focus is PHP community
  • Blue Parabola 100% distributed

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    03:12 – History of Blue Parabola as a distributed team

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    • Natural progression

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      04:20 – Blue Parabola

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      • One of the more active, unheard of, PHP companies
      • Runs PHP Architect Magazine
      • Runs PHP Tech, a conference in Chicago
      • Contracting, consulting, training
      • Works with companies of people trying to understand the PHP community
      • Buffer zone between corporate world and open-source world

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        06:30 – A day in the life with Keith

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        • Varied work schedule/time zones
        • Chat channel/status calls
        • Twice a week daily stand-ups

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          08:22 – Useful tools
          09:05 – Web 2 Project

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          • Lead developer
          • Web-based formal project management

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            13:45 – Ups and downs of working from home

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            • No commute time is nice
            • Stopping at the end of the day is difficult

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              14:38 – Communicating in person as a team

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              • Try for once a quarter
              • Conferences

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                16:45 – PHP Community

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                • Mainstream companies doing big things who hire people wherever they are located
                • Hiring experienced people

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                  19:20 – Advice for future dispersed teams

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                  • Open up channels for communication and get used to communicating there

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