Episode #44: Rob Park

Aug 8, 12 • In Featured, Interviews, Podcast

In this episode, Rob Park, an independent software consultant and Agile coach talks about all aspects of remote pair programming, different ways distributed teams choose to communicate, and the art of participating in daily standups.

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Show Notes:

Twitter: @robpark

00:30 – Rob Park introduction & history

Independent software consultant & Agile coach
Teams trying to hang on to good talent
Based in Colorado

02:22 – Remote pairing

Extreme programming background
Finding the right setup
Great way to get ideas
Fun to work that way

06:20 – Pairing etiquette

Visual cues
Asking permission

07:51 – Communication is everything

You can tell the health of an Agile team by the buzz in the room
The keyboard is not the bottleneck

09:13 – Ways teams choose to communicate

Open chat rooms and IRC channels
Open Skype room
Chatrooms will die if people do not participate
IM tools
Email in some rare instances

11:24 – Standups via phone

Freedom to be wherever you want to be
Headsets required even when co-located
Enforce contact

13:44 – Kanbanpad

Whiteboards
Webcams set up on all the whiteboards

18:22 – Standing up while doing standups

Easy to lose focus in front of a screen

20:40 – Joining a distributed team in the future

Going stir-crazy in the house
Pairing in public

23:05 – Problems getting synced during a pairing session

Promiscuous pairing
Timezone issues
Be flexible and patient

26:56 – Encouraging pairing

30:55 – Tips and tricks

Enabling remote workers
Privilege to work at home

distributed teams Interviews podcast remote work

About the Author: Avdi Grimm

Avdi has been leading and participating in dispersed software development teams since 2007. He works from home in Southern Pennsylvania, and loves the fact that working remotely enables him to spend more time with his wife and five (soon to be six) children.