The document describes a virtual company with no traditional office setup, emphasizing remote work, frugality, and the importance of social interaction among team members. It outlines principles such as self-direction, effective communication, distributed leadership, and continuous learning to foster a productive work environment. Additionally, it details the technological tools used for project management and communication within the team.

1. Virtual Company No no receptionist, no cubicles, no rent, no commute, no dress policy, no office . Real clients, real work, real deadlines, real teams, real pay, real work . Not for : Slackers, chair fillers, soap opera junkies, full-time caregivers For : Self directed people who don’t look forward to putting on a tie or hose every morning.

2. Social Stack More important than technology. (Gasp!) No office space to start - it's okay (maybe even better) if everyone is remote. Frugality - spend money when you need to, but don't spend money if you don't have to. Camaraderie - you should enjoy each other's company, because you'll be spending a lot of time together. Joie de vivre - it's really important to have native (and naïve) optimism. Intercommunication - communicate by writing, and as much as possible communicate in a commons (wiki, IRC, email , bug tracker, etc.) Group introspection - create a culture that regularly does after-action reviews and write-ups of what we learned. Leadership - make sure people know what they're supposed to be doing. Figure out how to distribute leadership among the team. Cultivate knowledge and wisdom - the organization and individuals both should be learning all the time.

3. Working Rules Tasks are defined – People need to know what they should be doing and it should be written in a common location (Trac) Project Management is distributed – Ownership of a solution promotes bi-directional reviews

4. Technical Stack Hosted Solutions – Centralize and outsource as much hosting as possible Email SVN / Trac / Wiki / Bugtracker ( The Commons ) Development Servers (Web & DB) Central File Hosting / Trading Timesheet Software

5. The Commons SVN – Version Control and shared development space. Split / Merge based development tracks. Trac – Manage tasks, milestones, teams Bugtracker – Feedback from testers. Wiki – Process, documentation, random notes

6. Shared Space GoToMeeting.com – Conference calls, white boards and shared desktop VNC – “Let me show you what it looks like on my machine”

7. Shopping List Real desk in a dedicated room with a door. Comfortable office chair. Fast Computer (You can spend extra, you aren’t paying rent) High speed Internet access (Duh!) Telephone (Vonage) Window shades…

8. Communication Traps Scheduling – Make sure everyone knows when everyone else is expected to be available – Shared Calendar (Google) Mass Calls – Schedule at least 15 minutes once a week for an all-hands meeting. Allow chit-chat, it’s important.

9. Face Time? Never really felt the need, but some people do, so if your team isn’t too spread out, plan at least 1 meeting a year to get everyone together socially. Don’t make it required.