How to form a software development team? Why I choose cross-functional feature team over functional layer team? The true story of one team.

1. TEAMWORK
AGILE WAY
Jelena Barinova | @jfiodorova | bebetterleader.com

2. ADFORM
Founded
in DK
11 YEARS
270
Offices in
12 countries
employees

3. ADFORM SYSTEM

4. ADFORM
DEVELOPMENT
TEAM
Head of
development
Andrej
Ads
Management

5. How to form a team?
For software product development

6. Two approaches to form a team
Functional
Cross-functional
Common functional expertise
Representatives from the various functions
Testers
System analysts
Developers
Development team

7. Why we choose cross-functional ?
cross-functional
Faster feature delivery
Customer focus
Knowledge sharing

8. Two approaches to define scope for team
Layer ownership
Feat 1
Feat 2
Feature ownership
Feat 1
team
Feat 3
Frontend
team
Frontend
Backend
team
Backend
Database
team
Database
Feat 2
team
Feat 3
team

9. Why our goal - feature teams?
feature
Increased value throughput
Autonomy
Single Point of Contact

10. Two types of team members
I-shaped skills
JavaScript
Narrow but expert knowledge
T-shaped skills
C#.NET
JavaScript
Puppet
Wide range of shallow & one deep skill

11. Why I hire T-shaped people?
May cover each other
May suggest alternative solutions

12. Summary
Cross-functional teams
Feature oriented
T-shaped members

13. What surrounds us?
In software product development

14. Two approaches to control any process
Defined
Materials
Empirical
Step 1
Step 2
Step 4
Step 3
Product
Do
Act
Step 5
Plan
Check

15. Which approach should be used?
Defined
Adform Kaunas
Empirical
Tesla factory

16. Two approaches for optimization
Sub-optimization
System optimization
Testers
System analysts
Developers

17. Game: pass the pennies
20 coins
5 departments
5 managers (track time)
1 CEO (track time)

18. Learning points
When batch size decreases, total cycle time decreases
As total time decreases, worker time increases!
People idle more when batch size is high

19. Optimization
Sub-optimization is valid
for defined process
Feature
request
6
5
Total system throughput - 5
7
System optimization
for empirical process
Feature
Feature
delivered request
6
Total system throughput - 6
Feature
delivered

20. Multitasking or single-tasking
Working on several features
at a time
Feat 1
Feat 2
Feat 3
Feat 1
Feature 1
delivered
Feat 2
Feature 2
delivered
time
Working on one feature
at a time
Feat 1
Feat 1
Feature 1
delivered
Feat 2
Feat 2
Feat 3
Feature 2
delivered
time

21. Game: fill-in the table
1
I
A
How long will it take to fill the table?
2
II
B
What influences speed?
3
III
C
…
Fill in form horizontally (1, I, A, 2, II, B..). Measure
time.
Fill in form vertically (1..10, I..X, A..J). Measure time.
10
X
J

22. Learning points
There is no multitasking, but fast switching between tasks
Time increases when switching happens

23. Multitasking in team
Complete highest priority tasks first
Work in small batches
1 completed feature is always better than 7 started

24. Summary
Empirical process:
Inspect and adopt
Single-tasking:
Focus on highest priority, work on small tasks
System optimization:
Team is able and is enabled to decide everything

25. True story of teamwork
DSP team

26. Team setup
Product owner
UI developers
Cassandra developer
Team advocate
.NET developers

27. Extended team
Product director
Sales
Delivery managers
Development team
Client support

28. I Quarter
II Quarter
September
Feature path from idea to client
IV Quarter
October
III Quarter
Feature 1
Feature 2
Feature 3
Feature 1
Task 1
Task 2
October
Feature 4
Task 4
Feature 6
Deploy
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
November
Feature 5
Dev
Task 3
Task 5
October
Roadmap
Backlog
Task list
Task board
Live
Task 1

29. Meetings
Backlog review (1 hour, biweekly, team)
Standup (15 min, daily, team)
Review (1 hour, biweekly, extended team)
Retrospectves (30 min, biweekly, team)
Other meetings on demand

30. Other facts
Team in one room
3 TV screens to monitor system in a team room
6 white boards (all walls covered in whiteboards)
Personal coffee machine

31. What are your questions

32. HAPPY TEAMWORK!
Jelena Barinova | @jfiodorova | bebetterleader.com

33. Please give me
FEEDBACK!

34. Sources
Pictures:
Money designed by Joe Harrison from The Noun Project
Timer designed by Casey Ochinang from The Noun Project
Arrow designed by Luke Macauley from The Noun Project
Rectangle designed by Renee Ramsey-Passmore from The Noun Project
Arrow designed by Eakarius from The Noun Project
Tesla factory picture is taken from The Washington Times Communities
Idea to gather feedback:
From Jurgen Appelo blog noop.nl
Games:
Pass the pennies game is taken from Crisp’s blog