The Mob Mentality Show

As you test, are you learning? Does each test impact the design of the next test?As you test, is a group learning? Is the wisdom of the crowd continuously used to inspect and adapt the testing approach?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss Ensemble Teaching, Exploratory Testing, and Product Development with Maaret Pyhäjärvi. She not only shares about exploratory testing before and after ensembling, but also about the synergy of visualization and exploratory testing. Lastly she shares about ensemble programming with kids, students, and women over 40. 

Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/AjJF-0r5HMc

When seeking to learn a new programming language, what is your MO?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss with Shahar Dawn Or who when seeking to learn Rust made his MO Mobus Operandi, that is, starting mob programming meetups to learn Rust. Streaming from Thailand, Shahar Dawn Or also kick-starts some brainstorming with Chris and Austin on a "mob for hire" concept and then they all discuss the synergy of Teal Organizations and mob programming.

Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/nxNDo-7Fyfk

If learning quickly is a competitive advantage, what does it mean to have a learning organization? How do you cultivate this kind of environment where you work?Has "working harder" ever made problems worse? If so, what is going on at the system level? How can we better surface, test, and improve our internal pictures of how the world works?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Learning Organizations and The Fifth Discipline" where they walkthrough:- Systems Thinking- Learning and Experimentation- Vision and Mastery- Dialog and Shared Vision- Learning Organizations and Mob Programming 

Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/U_KkTQabKXE

How do you introduce good software engineering practices to people who are new to it all?Whether it is on the job or in an academy, what do you teach first in software development? What do you teach second? How do you teach it?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Learning through the Ensemble" with Clare Sudbery. We not only talk about pairs and ensembles at Made Tech Academy but we also share experiences about troubleshooting issues in new ensembles. 

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/L5hbonDKITo

Ever feel like you are drifting away from "Agile"?Do the principles of lean startup and innovation conflict with agility?Has your "experiment => inspect => adapt" cycle ever led to a good place but is not what many consider Agile?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Cheating on Agile" with Anders Haugeto. They discuss Lean Startup, Innovation, and Stereotypical Agile vs. Agile Manifesto. They also dive into some concrete examples of cheating on agile in regards to time and context switching.  

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/tgRXZbJMQdI

For a team, is solo leadership the most effective? Or is collective leadership a feasible alternative?Should product responsibility be primarily a solo activity? Or fundamentally the activity of a group?With sometimes drastic differences in timing and supply chain, how can one stay lean in the complicated world of IoT products that not only have software but also have hardware and firmware?

Join Chris and Austin for another fantastic time with Mary and Tom Poppendieck. They pick up the discussion where they left off last time and revisit "Leadership and Responsible Engineers." However, this time they focus on collective vs. solo leadership and collective vs. solo responsibility. Then they dive into the "Lean Internet of Things" and techniques for healthy system integrations.

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/9SyYPaAD1K4

How do teams collaborate at Tesla?

What does it look like to optimize for the pace of innovation? 

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Mobbing at Tesla" with Joe Justice. Joe not only shares what mobbing on hardware looks like at Tesla but also shares why optimizing for the pace of innovation is key in this flavor of agility. Lastly, we discuss the top two questions Joe gets asked on ensemble programming.

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/hCLNswMtk5k

What would a healthy retrospective look like if it had no facilitator?What if self-organization was applied not only to how the team works but also how they retro?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Retrospectives from the Back of the Room" with Allan Kelly and Nicolas Umiastowski. Allan and Nicolas not only share about how to gamify retrospectives with dialogue sheets and cards, but also share about how to redistribute power in retros.

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/9UwfCyp4Jyc

What is the "day in the life" like for a mob programmer at a different company?While many learn from experiments and experiences in their own company, what kind of things foster first hand learning from people in other companies?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Cross Company Continuous Improvement" with Jonathan Turner and Mike Clement where all share about their Developer Visitor Programs and their recent Mobber Exchange Experiment. Lastly, they chat about what's exciting in tech right now.

Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/WKo6ToFMpVQ

Ever been in a mob that is not engaged and is just ritualistically going through the motions?Or, ever been in a team that is not really collaborating but just putting on good "Agile Theatre"?

Join Chris and Austin as they discuss with Scott Bellware the tale of two teams: The Mundane Mob & The Exquisite Ensemble. Scott not only shares stories of good vs. bad mob programming and good vs. bad XP, but he also shares about the heart of pursuing perfection in lean and its implications for high performing teams. 

FYI: Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/WlcjhU-o4HQ