Comments on: Latest column up: problems with distributed development http://brucefwebster.com/2008/07/07/latest-column-up-problems-with-distributed-development/ Making IT work since 1974. Sun, 13 May 2012 15:46:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: arandomJohn http://brucefwebster.com/2008/07/07/latest-column-up-problems-with-distributed-development/comment-page-1/#comment-136 arandomJohn Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:41:47 +0000 http://brucefwebster.com/?p=52#comment-136 Bruce, You might be getting to this in the next column, but here are a few thoughts. Number one is that the size of the project matters. Something that requires 40 people working on it is simply not going to be able to be massively distributed in the way that something that has 5 people on it might. Second, the talent required matters. Many people think that it makes a lot more sense to have A+ developers all working at home than to have B developers all working in an office. Often people with the set of skills you need aren't willing/able to relocate. If they are capable of being productive while working at home then you need to decide if you need those skills on your team. Finally there are the problems of team cohesion and interaction. The idea of the virtual company, with workers flung across the continent or even the globe is one that is gaining traction. On key is to spend some the the $$$ that are saved on office space on getting together in real life at regular intervals. For example, a team of 6 might meet together in a different location one week each quarter. This would be expected to be an intense, 80 hour week in which everybody gets to work on everybody else's code and everybody gets on the same page. The core problem is being willing to spend the money to do this. Four weeks of travel a year isn't much of a burden in exchange for working from home, assuming that you can work from home. I've been working from home consistently for 5 years now and I've seen it work well and be a disaster. Personally I think that the key is getting a small A+ team than can be productive at home and having the discipline to do the face to face meetings regularly and being able to realize when it isn't working. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on what it takes to make distributed development work. Bruce,

You might be getting to this in the next column, but here are a few thoughts. Number one is that the size of the project matters. Something that requires 40 people working on it is simply not going to be able to be massively distributed in the way that something that has 5 people on it might.

Second, the talent required matters. Many people think that it makes a lot more sense to have A+ developers all working at home than to have B developers all working in an office. Often people with the set of skills you need aren’t willing/able to relocate. If they are capable of being productive while working at home then you need to decide if you need those skills on your team.

Finally there are the problems of team cohesion and interaction. The idea of the virtual company, with workers flung across the continent or even the globe is one that is gaining traction. On key is to spend some the the $$$ that are saved on office space on getting together in real life at regular intervals. For example, a team of 6 might meet together in a different location one week each quarter. This would be expected to be an intense, 80 hour week in which everybody gets to work on everybody else’s code and everybody gets on the same page. The core problem is being willing to spend the money to do this. Four weeks of travel a year isn’t much of a burden in exchange for working from home, assuming that you can work from home.

I’ve been working from home consistently for 5 years now and I’ve seen it work well and be a disaster. Personally I think that the key is getting a small A+ team than can be productive at home and having the discipline to do the face to face meetings regularly and being able to realize when it isn’t working. I look forward to seeing your thoughts on what it takes to make distributed development work.

]]> By: yurri http://brucefwebster.com/2008/07/07/latest-column-up-problems-with-distributed-development/comment-page-1/#comment-137 yurri Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:20:37 +0000 http://brucefwebster.com/?p=52#comment-137 There is nothing to write a comment about in this article. It's true that managing a distributed team is much more challenge than having all your crew at the one office. It's definitely true but obvious also. The following parts must be more interesting telling about solving problems - and this first part only declares that the problem exists. Yes, it does. The only thing that i can't agree in this article is that oil prices play main role in distributed software development expansion. Tickets cost still remain minor part of relocation expenses as i can expect. There is nothing to write a comment about in this article. It’s true that managing a distributed team is much more challenge than having all your crew at the one office. It’s definitely true but obvious also.

The following parts must be more interesting telling about solving problems – and this first part only declares that the problem exists.

Yes, it does.

The only thing that i can’t agree in this article is that oil prices play main role in distributed software development expansion. Tickets cost still remain minor part of relocation expenses as i can expect.

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