Wide Teams

By Avdi Grimm

The blog for geographically dispersed organizations... more

4.6

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FAQs about Wide Teams:

How many episodes does Wide Teams have?

The podcast currently has 100 episodes available.

Wide Teams episodes:

August 01, 2012Episode #43: Greg Bell of Reverb Software
In this episode, Greg Bell, of Reverb Software, talks about mistakes he made during the early stages of managing a distributed team and what he’s done to combat those mistakes, and the ideal people that make up a widely distributed team.
Show Notes:
Twitter: @gregbell
REVERB Software
Greg Bell Design + Development
github/gregbell
Ruby Open Source Challenge
00:44 – Greg Bell Introduction and Background
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Based in Vancouver, Canada
Reverb has 6 staff members distributed around the world: France and Vancouver
Shared office space that can be utilized
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02:05 – Type of software worked on
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Rails applications in medical and pharmaceutical enterprise spaces
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03:00 – History with distributed teams
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First experiences werenâ€t so good
Inherited distributed developers
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05:20 – What went wrong at first?
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Good technology wasnâ€t in place to allowl continuous communication
No IRC or Hip Chat
No daily standups
Language barrier
Time zone alignment
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08:30 – Plans to avoid future mistakes while managing a distributed team
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Try to get people in the same room as much as possible
Face time
Keep the team connected
Having the right people
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09:45 – Ideal people
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Enjoy writing down what they are doing
Documenting thoughts
Making it obvious what they are up to
Detail tickets
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11:20 – A day in the life
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Daily standup over Google Hangouts
Additional conversations between teams
HipChat all day
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13:14 – HipChat
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Easy to use
Integrated one-on-one video chat
More private than Skype
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15:10 – Division of work between people in Vancouver and people in France
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Everyone works on projects together
Meeting with clients is harder for those located in France
Iteration planning
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18:42 – Being stalled during work due to others being unavailable
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Always have multiple independent tasks you could be working on
Changing how you orient standups
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23:00 – Connecting with clients
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Tracking conversations
Taking meeting notes
Side conversations with clients can give a lot of context
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25:08 – Dealing with young members of teams
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Training/programs for young developers out of college
Remote pair programming
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29:05 – Number one piece of advice for someone getting into distributed work
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Show progress
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...more
33min
July 25, 2012Episode #42: Chad Fowler of LivingSocial
Chad Fowler, of LivingSocial, talks about his background working in and managing widely distributed teams, why people should be allowed to work from home, and the best ways for people who want to work remotely to get into the business.
Show Notes:
ChadFowler.com
Twitter: @chadfowler
LivingSocial.com
LivingSocial.com/jobs
01:18 – Chad Fowler Introduction & Background
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Author of the Passionate Programmer and Rails Recipes
Organizer of RubyConf and RailsConf
SVP of Technology at LivingSocial
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01:50 – Experience with remote work
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Off-shore team setups
Off-shore insourcing arrangement
Consulting arrangements
Widely distributed teams at LivingSocial
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03:55 – Off-shore experiences
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Extreme programming
Turnover
Confirming something is actually done & finished
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12:05 – Psychological aspect of being a developer
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Isolation from other developers
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13:20 – LivingSocial
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Wasnâ€t widely distributed before
Goal: to create a culture open to distributed teams
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15:15 – Challenges in creating a distributed environment
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Large teams and large companies typically are not good to work for
Overhead
Multiple personalities
Making a large team still feel like a small one
Create a collection of small teams: â€œstart-up within a start-upâ€
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18:44 – Every team operates differently
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Team gelling/team dynamics
Bonding while collaborating
Creating comradery
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22:10 – Team choices
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No two people working on the same thing within one office
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26:00 – Forming a distributed team
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Sharing information
Technology is important
If possible, donâ€t have a room with multiple people in it
Mind timezones
Work from home regularly; force people to not come into the office
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33:40 – Why let people work from home?
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You donâ€t want to be limited to one area in terms of â€œtypesâ€ of employees
The lifestyle of those working from home is generally healthy
Offices restrict you schedule-wise
A happier, more productive â€œmeâ€
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38:25 – Some people just canâ€t work from home
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Staying focused can be an issue
Presence
Staying passionate
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43:45 – How can somebody find remote work?
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Create a presence
Become a part of the online/tech scene
References
Networking
Writing books/blogs
Speaking at conferences
Organizing conferences
Be an online extrovert
Helping others
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49:20 – Remote pair programming
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Open-source code
An avenue for becoming known
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...more
58min
July 18, 2012Podcast #41: Jonathan Wallace of Highgroove Studios
Jonathan Wallace, of Highgroove Studios,Â talks about the team’s management philosophy, ROWE, and why it works, andÂ how the concepts of overcommunication and summarization are extremely important practices when working within a distributed team.
Show Notes:
Highgroove Studios
blog.jonathanrwallace.com
Twitter: @jonathanwallace
@highgroove
00:52 – Jonathan Wallace Introduction
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Developer and Technologist at Highgroove Studios
Independent IOS and Rails Consultant
Open-Source Developer
Runner of code retreats
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01:14 – Distributed Team
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Highgroove: 20 or so members
Management Philosophy: ROWE–Results Only Work Environment
Results are what matter no matter where you are
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01:58 – Becoming Distributed
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Consultant work out of coffee shops/home
Permalancers
Freedom/empowerment
Working vacations
Can work from office or home based on how they feel
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07:43 – Being â€œthereâ€ versus getting things done: Results Only (ROWE)
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Measuring results, not hours worked
Client happiness rules
Being proactive and responsible in managing expectations
Figure out what works for you
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11:50 – Work Flow while Working from Home
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Communicate via Campfire
Pivotal Tracker
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14:42 – Challenges of Remote Work
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Discipline of sitting down and getting work done
Getting away from the computer and work
Getting to know new employees
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18:00 – â€œOvercommunicatingâ€
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Seeking advice from others
Sharing experience
Not making assumptions that everyone knows everything
Broadcasting thoughts
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20:30 – Summarizing
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Reducing the â€œbusâ€ factor
Someone else can pick a project back up in someone elseâ€s absence
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23:44 – Advice for Remote Teams
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Overcommunicate
Establish good social bonds
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...more
28min
July 11, 2012Podcast #40: Mike Leone of Panoptic Development
In this episode, Mike Leone of Panoptic Development, talks about transitioning into remote work, working with people who are not local, and integrating someone new into a dispersed team.
Show Notes:
Panoptic Development
Twitter: @panopticdev
01:28 – Mikeâ€s background and history
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One of the founders of Panoptic Development
Does software engineering with open source development
Mobile application development
Systems integration work
4 full-time partners: 2 in Providence, RI, 2 in San Francisco and a network of 5 consultants throughout the country
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02:38 – How the company came to be
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3 partners worked at a startup in Providence and branched off
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03:59 – Changes made when going remote
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Get better at the things they were already doing
Think about business development
Tool selection
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05:14 – Working with people who were not local
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Networking
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05:56 – Integrating someone new into a distributed team
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Transition from small tasks to larger ones
People who express more interest in becoming more active within the company
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07:10 – A day in the life working together remotely
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IRC meeting
Client work/business development
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13:35 – Challenges of going remote
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Picking better projects to people to integrate them into working remotely
Being consistent
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14:57 – Physically getting together as a team
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At least once a year the partners get together
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16:55 – Advice for remote workers
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Having good tools makes a difference
Be flexible in your process: everyone works differently
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...more
24min
July 04, 2012Podcast #39: Luke Stokes and Brett Florio of Foxycart
Luke Stokes and Brett Florio talk about what it’s like to be partners and co-founders of Foxycart, an eCommerce platform focusing on the cart and the checkout flow. They also talk about bringing team members onboard an already dispersed team, using different modes of communication, and overcoming hurdles in building a team that works.
Show Notes:
Foxycart.com
Twitter:
@lukestokes
@brettflorio
01:06 – Background and History
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Remote from the beginning
Donâ€t know how else they would work
9 team members
Like the flexibility of remote work
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04:43 – Finding team members
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No need to stay local
DjangoÂ job board = more targeted than other job boards
Networking within the community
Local connections
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08:55 – Bringing team members onboard outside an office sit-down interview
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Emails
Skype/video interview
Campfire chat room = virtual office
People hired have had a history where Luke and Brett seen what they have done and what know they are capable of doing
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14:30 – Business of Foxycart
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Foxycart is an eCommerce platform focusing on the cart and the checkout flow
Built to integrate
Flexible
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17:30 – Team Member Handbook
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As the team grew, there were things that needed clarified
Security
Tool-training
Expectations
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24:04 – Modes of communication
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Google+ Hangout
HeyTell – push to talk
iMessage
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28:00 – Culture
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Similarities in age, marital status, family, passions, etc.
Personal relationships outside of just work
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31:33 – Overcoming hurdles in developing a dispersed team
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Team members disappearing
Developing a hiring process
Org charts
Distributing work to different members based on skills and what they want to do
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37:35 – A day in the life with Foxycart
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Wake up, check email
Read through Campfire logs
Read through forum posts
Read through support tickets
Jump into your individual focus
Work in blocks
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44:05 – Advice for dispersed teams
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Value communication
Founder/partner relationship building is critical
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...more
51min
June 27, 2012Podcast #38: Vassilis Rizopoulos of ZÃ¼hlke
Vassilis Rizopoulos, of ZÃ¼hlke, talks about what it is like toÂ handle equipment that can be remotely operated,Â working within a company’s IT limitations, andÂ the importance of setting boundaries when working from home.
Show Notes:
Twitter: @arcandros
Google+
EuRuKo
ZÃ¼hlke
01:20 – Vassilisâ€ history and background
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Working remotely for 8 years
Works for ZÃ¼hlke, an engineering company that provides services for clients that want to create projects
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05:30 – Embedded hardware development
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Works with equipment that can be remotely operated
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08:49 – Structure of Vasillisâ€ remote teams
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Many branches located in many places
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11:17 – Iteration meetings
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Collaboration tools
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14:36 – Daily stand-ups
15:24 – Interaction with co-workers
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If something breaks or there is a problem
If everything is ok, contact is minimal to once or twice a day
Travels to other offices
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18:30 – Information radiators
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A tool that brings information back to the developer as quickly as possible
Needs updated regularly
Needs to be visible to the team
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22:41 – Working with IT limitations
26:00 – Advice for working remotely
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Get a room with a door
Boundaries need to be clear to be productive
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27:00 – Positives and negatives of working remotely
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Working from home
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...more
34min
June 20, 2012Podcast #37: Justin Searls of Test Double
In this episode, Justin Searls of Test Double, shares his experiencesÂ – both good and bad,Â inÂ working with distributed teams, how to turn the tides when things areÂ goingÂ noticablyÂ sour within a project, and the importance of forming habits that stick.
Show Notes:
Test Double
Twitter: @searls
Beautiful Front End Code ConferenceÂ
01:14 – Justinâ€s history and background with remote work
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Consulting for 6 years
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01:53 – Bad experiences with distributed teams
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Satellite offices trash talking each other
Communication constraints
Passive agressiveness
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05:30 – Turning the tide
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Get of the project
Everyoneâ€s doing their best
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07:50 – Good experiences with distributed teams
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When coaching isnâ€t necessary
Coming from a common foundation and similar levels of experience
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11:25 – Normalization
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Improving communication
Team mindset
Handshake Problem
Every opinion matters
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13:33 – Communication cost is significantly higher within distributed teams
16:06 – Warning signs that the cost of communication is becoming too expensive
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Remote people getting left out
People get lost and become uncomfortable about where things in the project are
Forming habits that stick
Value asynchronous communication
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19:50 – Advice for dispersed teams
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Recognize what kind of organization style you have
Donâ€t prejudge
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...more
24min
June 13, 2012Podcast #36: Ben Johnson of Merrill Corporation
In this episode, Ben Johnson of Merrill Corporation talks about evolving into remote work, why working in an office is bad for focus and productivity, and why putting your face out on the Internet is a good thing.
Show Notes:
Twitter: @deafgreatdane
Merrill Corporation
Merrill DataSite
Pragmatic Geek
01:10 – Benâ€s introductory and background
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Software architect who leads teams in software development efforts in Minnesota
Internal style development
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01:37 – Merrill Corporation
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Printing company that has evolved into a communications service company
Focused on legal services and financial world (printing and distributing documents)
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02:20 – Evolving into remote work
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Company wanted to have Ben work remotely rather than not at all
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03:12 – Tools
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Instant messaging
Conference calling
Wikis & Issue trackers
Email
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05:19 – Day to day operation
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Formal SCRUM to 15-20 minute daily standups
Reach out to others as needed
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07:11 – Advantages of working remotely
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Ability to focus
A lot of other venues for knowledge sharing rather than interoffice face to face communication
Introverts vs extroverts
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10:41 – Remaining in touch with your team
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Trust
Frequent check-ins
Team leads
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12:45 – Helpful management techniques
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Code reviews
XP techniques
Continual communication
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13:53 – Standardized tools are important
16:45 – Advice for others working remotely
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More use of real faces on avatars
Starting off with face to face meetings is important
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...more
23min
June 06, 2012Podcast #35: Harvey Losin
Wide Teams field correspondent Keith Bennett interviews Harvey Losin, talking about outsourcing and the challenges that come with it; working with people in different time zones and cultures; and why knowing business is more valuable than any technical tool you can offer.
Show Notes:
02:30 – Harveyâ€s background and information
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Harvey Losin managing partner of Ideowave Technology Corporation in Cebu, Philippines
Company is set up on a partnership
Freelance Web Developer
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04:40 – Working with time zones
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People from different time zones have different tasks to do
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05:22 – Communication issues
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Accents
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07:00 – Assignments
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Graphic design
Logo
Layout changes
Web development support
Coding
Graphic conversion
Technical support
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09:35 – Working with time zones
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Emergency meetings
Provide two points of contact
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11:00 – Tools
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GoToMeeting.com
TeamViewer.com
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12:30 – Providers should adjust to their clients
13:15 – Outsourcing challenges
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Insufficient/incomplete instructions
Filling in gaps
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15:41 – How Harvey got his start
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Never stop learning
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19:35 – Keep a balance of local and overseas clients
20:43 – Never be complacent with technology
25:40 – Studying business
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Reaching your clients better
Understanding issues and problems and how you can solve them
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27:25 – Dealing with clients from a different culture
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Budget/Haggling
Western clients are more objective and know what they want
Know psychology of all types of culture
Good to know how to allocate resources
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35:00 – Advice
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Donâ€t make technical things your primary tool
Communicate and be able to talk business
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...more
38min
May 31, 2012Podcast #34: Ron Evans of The Hybrid Group
In this episode, Ron Evans of The Hybrid Group talks about being a part of a consultancy and the importance of reputation, balancing family and distributed work, and a wonderful project aimed at our youth to introduce them to coding at a young age and keep the Ruby community alive and thriving!
Show Notes:
Twitter: @deadprogram
The Hybrid Group
Kanban PadÂ
The Kids Ruby Project
Clutch
00:51 – Introduction
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Ron Evans of the Hybrid Group a software consultancy with a dispersed team
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01:50 – Interview begins
02:05 – Ronâ€s background
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Ring leader of The Hybrid Group: a development company based in L.A.
Has developers in 5 countries, 4 different time zones, speaking in 4 different languages
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04:05 – Sustainable development
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Works on client programs already in progress
Takes over an existing code base
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04:38 – Communication practices
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Uses real-time communication
Has Skype chat room for each client and encourages client participation
Transparency is essential
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06:00 – Being extreme
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Times when distractions need to be eliminated
Times when you need to be collaborative
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06:40 – Tools
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Skype
Email
Ticketmaster
Clutch: universal feed that allows you to track projects
Kanban
Kanban Pad
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11:45 – Consultancies
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Reputation is key
Caring gives you a competitive edge
Treat client how you wish to be treated
How can we make things better and improve as a provider of service
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14:10 – Building a remote culture
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Geographic centers where you can cowork
Silly customs can help build the culture of a dispersed team
PBEOD: Production by end of day
Deploy Master: rotating person in charge each day
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23:40 – History of The Hybrid Group
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Meet tons of like-minded people, especially at conferences
Evolution of Ronâ€s previous consultancy
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29:35 – Pair programming and when to do it
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Pairing is done to solve a problem and to have people looking at code collaborativly
Screen-share-style pairing
Pairing with a client
Solving a particularly difficult problem
Do anything all the time is not a good approach to solving problems
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36:48 – Does agile development work?
38:30 – Family and distributed work
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Avoid commute times
Choose your own environment for productivity
Having control over your own destiny
Investing in people rather than infrastructure
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41:50 – The Kids Ruby Project
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Fantastic developers started programming very young
Computer education in schools is decreasing for programming type jobs
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50:55 – Advice for future dispersed teams
[unordered_list style=”bullet”]
Cultivate an attitude of transparency
Share information
Truth will set you free
Be ethical
[/unordered_list]
...more
54min

FAQs about Wide Teams:

How many episodes does Wide Teams have?

The podcast currently has 100 episodes available.