Posts Tagged ‘Dogfooding’
[DevoxxBE2012] 7 Things: How to Make Good Teams Great
Sven Peters, an Atlassian ambassador with over a decade in Java EE development and team leadership, shared strategies for elevating competent teams to exceptional levels. Sven, passionate about clean code and developer motivation, drew from Atlassian’s experiences to outline seven practices fostering innovation and productivity while sustaining focus on quality products.
He opened by challenging assumptions about agile methodologies, observing that some self-proclaimed agile teams underperform, while certain traditional ones excel. Sven emphasized that true greatness transcends labels, requiring deliberate actions to boost morale and efficiency.
Atlassian, known for tools like Jira and Confluence, exemplifies these principles through an open culture that values feedback and experimentation. Sven warned that while inspiring, these methods must adapt to individual contexts, with readiness to iterate based on outcomes.
Enhancing Focus and Flow
Sven advocated protecting developers’ concentration, introducing “do not disturb” periods where interruptions halt, allowing deep work. At Atlassian, engineers signal availability with signs, reducing context switches that hinder productivity.
He stressed feeding intellectual curiosity via learning opportunities, such as internal talks or external conferences. These sessions, often during lunch, cover diverse topics, sparking ideas and cross-team collaboration.
Appreciating efforts, even minor ones, builds positivity. Sven described Atlassian’s kudos system, where peers publicly recognize contributions, reinforcing a supportive environment.
Automating Insights and User Empathy
To streamline oversight, Sven recommended automated reports aggregating metrics like code commits and bug fixes. These dashboards provide quick overviews without manual effort, freeing time for creative tasks.
“Dogfooding”—using one’s own products internally—bridges gaps between creators and users. At Atlassian, this uncovers issues early, fostering empathy and better designs. Sven shared how it led to improvements in their tools.
Sparking Innovation Through Dedicated Time
Special days, like “ShipIt” events, tackle backlog items in focused bursts. Atlassian’s 24-hour hackathons encourage wild ideas, with voting and implementation for winners, injecting fun and progress.
Experimentation time, such as 20% personal projects, drives breakthroughs. Sven recounted how this birthed features like Jira’s rapid boards, enhancing products while empowering staff.
He rated these practices’ feasibility and impact, urging measured trials to gauge effectiveness.
Adapting and Measuring Success
Sven concluded by encouraging experimentation, acknowledging failures as learning opportunities. Atlassian’s disbanded innovation team taught that distributed creativity works better.
He advised time-boxing initiatives, tracking results, and customizing approaches. Being distinctive in practices attracts and retains talent in a competitive field.
Sven’s insights, rooted in real-world application, offer a blueprint for transforming solid teams into outstanding ones through intentional, adaptive strategies.