This document summarizes the story of a part-time agile team that started as a team of one and grew to include additional developers and contractors. It discusses how the team operated with short 1-week iterations and weekly check-ins while working on different schedules. It also provides advice on using wikis for documentation and issue tracking versus assessing overall status. The team plans to focus on weekly releases, automating processes, and using data-driven A/B testing to guide product development going forward.

1. Part Time
Agile
Dima Malenko
rollApp

2. Any application
On any device
Anywhere

3. Our Story
The team of one
More of us
Into the future

4. The team of one
IN THE BEGINNING

5. Market, Tech
Product
Users, Social
Flash
Client
JavaScript
Python
Server
X Window
Python
Web
JS, CSS, SQL
Hosting
Ops
Linux, DNS, …

6. Market, Tech
Product
Users, Social
Flash
Client
JavaScript
Python
Server
X Window
Python
Web
JS, CSS, SQL
Hosting
Ops
Linux, DNS, …

7. Cross-functionality
…
Level of abstraction
Markets
Deep cross-
Products functionality
Systems
Wide cross-functionality
Code
Variation in tools and methods

8. The Fallacy of “Deep” Cross-functionality
6-12 months 15-30 minutes
Impact horizon

9. Now and then: a team of 5
AS IT GOES

10. I switched to full-time
Part-time team
- Web developer
- Server developer
- Client developer
- Plugins developer
Contractors
- UI/UX designer
- PR/Marketing specialist

11. “Get Together” Lunch
- Every week
- Not a meeting!
- Good for brainstorming

12. Weekly 1:1s
- Feedback
- Discussions
- A little bit of status
Check out Manager Tools podcasts on this topic
http://manager-tools.com/taxonomy/term/7

13. Short Iterations Focus
- 1 week Not more than one
- Bug fixes + Focus major feature per
component/direction
F

14. Cross-functional Features

15. Major Development: Working Together
Relied on “agility” too much
Different schedules:
Coding sessions Design Up Front

16. Major Development: New Components
- Deployability is a feature
- 1st one you should deliver

17. Syndrome of a Small Team
Small problem
for a large team
can be a
large problem
for a small team
Remember this
sign - %

18. Wiki Is Your Friend
- “Interactions … over documentation” *
I remember that we already discussed this.
Yep, me too. What have we decided? **
1. Describe idea in Wiki
2. Send e-mail “Hey! Here is what I’m up too. Let’s discuss”
3. Discuss and correct
4. ???
5. PROFIT!
* A little bit frivolous quite from Agile Manifesto
** Characters from Geek and Poke (http://geekandpoke.typepad.com)

19. Issue Tracking vs. Status Assessment
- Tracking is about ensuring a process is executed
- Status is about seeing the whole picture
Check out http://trello.com

20. GOING FORWARD

21. What We Plan Next
Get back to weekly releases
Automate everything
A/B testing and “scientific” data to drive product
development

22. That’s it!
- Questions?
- Suggestions?
- Ideas?
Get in touch!
@dmalenko
dmalenko@rollapp.com