book

Team Geek

by Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman

July 2012

Intermediate to advanced

194 pages

5h 2m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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From FitzFrom BenAbout the Authors
Who Is This Book For?Warning: This Is Not a Technical ManualThe Contents of This Book Are Not Taught in SchoolThe Pitch
Help Me Hide My CodeThe Genius MythHiding Is Considered HarmfulIt’s All About the TeamThe Three PillarsHRT in PracticeLose the EgoLearn to Both Deal Out and Handle CriticismFail Fast; Learn; IterateLeave Time for LearningLearn PatienceBe Open to InfluenceNext Steps
What Is Culture?Why Should You Care?Culture and PeopleCommunication Patterns of Successful CulturesHigh-Level SynchronizationThe Mission Statement—No, ReallyEfficient MeetingsWorking in a “Geographically Challenged” TeamDesign DocsDay-to-Day DiscussionsMailing ListsOnline ChatUsing an Issue TrackerCommunication as Part of EngineeringCode CommentsPutting Your Name in Source Code Files (a.k.a., the “Author Tags” Issue)Require Code Reviews for Every CommitHave Real Test and Release ProcessesIt Really Is About the Code After All
Nature Abhors a Vacuum@Deprecated Manager“Leader” Is the New “Manager”The Only Thing to Fear Is … Well, EverythingThe Servant LeaderAntipatternsAntipattern: Hire PushoversAntipattern: Ignore Low PerformersAntipattern: Ignore Human IssuesAntipattern: Be Everyone’s FriendAntipattern: Compromise the Hiring BarAntipattern: Treat Your Team Like ChildrenLeadership PatternsLose the EgoBe a Zen MasterBe a CatalystBe a Teacher and a MentorSet Clear GoalsBe HonestTrack HappinessOther Tips and TricksPeople Are Like PlantsIntrinsic Versus Extrinsic MotivationFinal Thoughts
Defining “Poisonous”Fortifying Your TeamIdentifying the ThreatNot Respecting Other People’s TimeEgoOverentitlementImmature or Confusing CommunicationParanoiaPerfectionismRepelling the PoisonRedirect the Energy of PerfectionistsDon’t Feed the Energy CreatureDon’t Get Overly EmotionalLook for Facts in the BileRepel Trolls with NicenessKnow When to Give UpFocus on the Long TermA Final Thought
The Good, the Bad, and the StrategiesThe Ideal: How a Team Ought to Function Within a CompanyYour Life Under an Ideal ManagerThe Reality: When Your Environment Is an Obstacle to Your SuccessYour Life Under a Bad ManagerThe Office PoliticianThe Bad OrganizationManipulating Your Organization“It’s Easier to Ask for Forgiveness Than Permission”If You Can’t Take the Path, Make the PathLearn to Manage UpwardLuck and the Favor EconomyGet Promoted to a Position of SafetySeek Powerful FriendsHow to Ask a Busy Executive for Anything … via EmailPlan B: Get OutAll Is Not Lost

Managing Public PerceptionPay Attention to First ImpressionsUnderpromise and OverdeliverWork with Industry Analysts RespectfullyHow Usable Is Your Software?Choose Your AudienceConsider Barrier to EntryMeasure Usage, Not UsersSpeed MattersDon’t Be All ThingsDon’t Be LazyHide ComplexityManaging Your Relationship with UsersDon’t Be CondescendingBe PatientCreate Trust and DelightRemember the Users
A Final Thought

Content preview from Team Geek

Appendix B. Further Reading

We created this book based on our experiences writing software with numerous teams and people, but we’ve also read many books and articles that have helped us formulate the thoughts that we laid out on these pages. Here are a few of the books and articles that influenced us along the way:

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams, 2nd edition, by Tom DeMarco (Dorset House)
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink (Riverhead)
“You and Your Research” by Richard Hamming (http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/YouAndYourResearch.pdf)
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely (HarperCollins)
The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, 2nd Edition, by Frederick P. Brooks (Addison-Wesley Professional)
Startup Engineering Management by Piaw Na (self-published)
Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman (http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596518387.do) by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye (O’Reilly)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Crown)
Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas by Mary Lynn Manns (Addison-Wesley)
The Art & Adventure of Beekeeping by Ormond Aebi (Rodale Press)
“Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule” by Paul Graham (http://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html)
The Art of Readable Code (http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596802301.do) by Dustin Boswell and Trevor Foucher (O’Reilly)
Mastery: The Keys ...