Episode #61: Tom Santero and Reid Draper of Basho

Episode #61: Tom Santero and Reid Draper of Basho

Dec 5, 12 • In Featured, Interviews, Podcast

In this episode, Tom Santero and Reid Draper of Basho, talk about hiring where the talent is, doing what you think is best for the company, and the wonderful benefits of having work flexibility.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Show Notes:

Tom Santero (twitter github)
Reid Draper (twitter github blog)
Basho (twitter site)
Riak (github)

00:53 – Background & Introduction

  • Basho: commercial backers of an open-source distributed database called Riak
  • Cambridge, Massachusettes
  • 100 employees strong
  • 5 offices worldwide
  • Riak CS
  • Engineering team is completely distributed

02:50 – Employee distribution

  • Hire where the talent is

03:44 – Looking for and hiring developers

  • Open-source contributors
  • Meetup groups
  • Conference circuit

05:08 – Strategy to grow a distributed team

  • Organic

06:35 – Organization appearance

08:09 – Team interaction

12:26 – Remote pair programming

14:21 – Standups and phone Q&As

15:51 – Distributed team challenges

  • Growing pains
  • Onboarding

18:31 – Personalities best suited for remote working

19:34 – Flexibility

22:13 – Advice for dispersed teams

  • Hiring the right people is crucial
  • Have an open mind

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.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.

Scroll to top