Code Craft

Teamwork Principles

Here are the key team precepts that, once absorbed into your group’s DNA, will change the way you write software. They shift focus away from individuals to the software and its collaborative development. Remember: For these principles to be effective in your team, you must make a purposeful change toward them; don’t just agree they’re good ideas and carry on coding as you always have.

Collective Code Ownership

Many programmers are territorial about their work. This is natural: Programming is a very personal, creative act. We’re proud when we craft an elegant module, and we don’t want anyone to trample all over it, destroying the masterpiece. That would be sacrilege.

But effective teamwork demands that we shed egos before entering ...