This document discusses strategies for creating effective distributed agile teams across multiple time zones and continents. It notes that while distributed agile can be difficult, there are valid reasons to set up distributed teams such as accessing talent in other locations, serving global customers, or maintaining round-the-clock coverage. The document provides recommendations for building trust, using communication tools, conducting code reviews and meetings, and establishing processes to help distributed teams function effectively despite physical separation.

1. 19h time difference
3 continents
C reating effective highly distributed agile teams
Wojciech S eliga

2. About me
●
26 years of programming
●
8 years with „big international corporations”
●
7 years with agile
●
3 years with Atlassian
●
11 years in geographically distributed teams
and/or with remote customers
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3. Distributed agile is difficult
Do NOT do it, unless ...

4. Valid reasons to go distributed
● No local talent available
● S pecific skills elsewhere
● C ustomers elsewhere
● R ound the clock team
● Great people move
Photo by Linus Bohman
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5. Invalid reasons to go distributed
● C heaper workforce
(hidden overhead)
● No office space
● Desire to be „global”
Photo by dan4th
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6. Do's
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7. Skilled & flexible people
● Agile really reveals
problems, remoteness
amplifies it
● Linchpins
● S elf-organisation
● P assion (wild hours)
● Domain knowledge
● C ommunication
Photo by Helmut ● R esponsibility
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8. Build trust
● Deliver good stuff on
time
● Do not overcommit
● Meet deadlines
● Be honest
● Be transparent
● R espect each other
● Avoid bad surprises
Photo by rogiro
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9. Face to Face
Photo by AndYaDontStop
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10. Get to know your remote peers
● C ultural differences
● P ut names to the
faces
● R esponsibilities
● S trengths and
weaknesses
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11. Virtual Meetings
● Iteration planning
● R elease planning
● Iteration summary &
demo
● S tand-up - once or
twice a week
● Daily progress
Photo by Ha-Wee
available online
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12. Human bridges
● Ambassadors
● Touring rock stars
● Visiting professors
● P aratroopers
● F oreign exchange
worker
Photo by noticelj
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13. Good communication tools
● Video conferencing
● S kype
● IM (chat rooms)
● Issue tracker
● Wiki
● And more...
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14. Code review
● Disseminate
knowledge
● Build trust
● Guest programming
● P ost commit vs. pre-
commit
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15. Rotating the pain
Photo by appaji
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16. Good fences make good neighbours
● P rojects
● S ubsystems
● P lugins
● Vertical components
● Interfaces
● C lients / S ervers
● P latforms
Photo by Hryck
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17. Dont's
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18. Micro-management
Photo by Peter Ito
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19. Managers here, subordinates there
Photo by Lord Mariser
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20. Architects here, developers there
Photo by kioan
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21. Ignoring the fact of remoteness
Photo by donata ramonaite
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22. Cheaper workforce abroad
Photo by wildphotons
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23. Meeting overdose
Photo by Steve Smith
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24. Advantages of distributed teams
● S omeone round the clock
● Less conflicts during commits and fixing tests
● Taking over work started in the morning
● C ode reviewed by next morning
● Time to cool-down before responding
● S horter and intensive communication
● F un (new places, new cultures)
● Better computing resources utilisation - C I env is yours
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25. Takeaways
● Avoid distributed if
you can
● Agile amplifies
problems
● Assign your best
people
● Understand risks
Photo by Edinburgh Blog ● Take advantage
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26. Questions?
wseliga@atlassian.com
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