Agile Learning Labs

Dear XP

I'm very enthusiastic about agile software development. I have a special place in my heart for eXtreme Programming (XP), which was where I started with agile. That said, I don't have anything on these guys.

The XP video reminded me of this B of A video from a while back. The difference is that XP folks seem to be having a really good time, and the B of A folks... well, I'll just say that I know which party I want to be invited to.

Gettysburg Slides

For those of you who couldn't be there, here are Abe's Powerpoint slides.

One-On-OnesFebruary Engineering Managers Support Group

Nothing influences motivation, satisfaction, and retention more than the relationship an engineer has with their manager. Give your direct reports your time and attention, show them that you value them for who they are, as well as for what they do, and they will go to the wall for you. One of the most effective tools for establishing this kind of rapport is the weekly one-on-one meeting.

We will discuss the elements of effective one-on-ones, including what should be on the agenda, how to schedule them, and where to have them. We will also discuss how to initiate one-on-ones if you aren't already doing them. If you are doing one-on-ones, bring your experience and suggestions to share with the group.

We will be starting at 6:30 PM, and will once again enjoy the hospitality of Rearden Commerce, as they provide us with great facilities and tasty food.

Engineering Managers Support Group - February Meetup
Wednesday, February 27th
Rearden Commerce World Headquarters
1051 E. Hillsdale Blvd
Foster City, CA 94404

6:30 - 7:00
Networking and food
Katie will be in the lobby to ferry folks up. If she's not there when you arrive, you can hail her at: 650.619.7562.

7:00 - 8:00
We examine how to best implement weekly one-on-one meetings with your direct reports.

8:00 - 9:00
Round-table discussion of your engineering management issues
Bring your questions and get ideas and feedback from your fellow engineering managers.

Our Sponsors:
The Technical Management Institute
Rearden Commerce

RSVP Now!

IEEE Offshore Panel Discussion

Today's engineering managers need to be able to manage projects where some, or even all, of the engineers are located offshore. While the situation is becoming more common, the challenges and opportunities are still not widely understood. On the evening of March 6, the Silicon Valley IEEE Technology Management Council is bringing together 4 panelists, with diverse backgrounds and experience, to answer your questions about managing with offshore engineers.

Richard Danielson is Founder and President of PlanV Software. He has been a consumer and a provider of outsourced software development services since the mid-80s, working with offshore engineers from India, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam. One of Rich's projects was helping Honeywell set up their Bangalore development center. In early 2007 Rich founded PlanV Software which provides Vietnam-based web and mobile device application development services to small and young companies.

Rakesh Gowda is the Director of Software Development at QuinStreet, a provider of online marketing and media services for nearly 600 clients, headquartered in Foster City. In 2005, Rakesh traveled back to his home country of India to set up QuinStreet's development center in Pune, outside of Mumbai. He is pleased to report that the Pune team no longer requires his direct supervision for day-to-day operations. Rakesh holds a MS in Computer Science from Stanford and BE from the University of Mysore in India.

Accelerance CEO Steve Mezak has more than 25 years of software development experience and is a veteran of six Silicon Valley startups. He has served in a variety of management and technical roles, including CTO and CEO. Steve is also an internationally acclaimed speaker and author. His most recent book is Software Without Borders: A Step-By-Step Guide to Outsourcing Your Software Development. Steve holds a BS Degree in Computer Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he now serves as an advisor to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Dmytry Mykhaylov is a software engineer and project manager who has been working on geographically distributed projects for over 6 years. As a project manager he specializes in helping small to mid-sized projects in the Bay Area effectively incorporate offshore engineering talent. Dmytry firmly believes that an agile approach to project organization on all sides of a distributed team is key to a project's success and profitability.

Chris Sims, founder of the Technical Management Institute, will moderated the panel.

Full details and registration can be found here.

Grand Central

One of the secrets to being a great engineering manager is mastering the fine art of coordinating the work of others; keeping all the parts moving in sync. Or perhaps, not moving in sync... or maybe I just thought this was so cool I wanted to post it and the reference to engineering management is just an excuse...