The Mob Mentality Show

ChatGPT: Mobbing with a Robot

What is it like to onboard a new robot to your team?How well does the generative AI navigate code on day one in an ensemble?What are effective ways the mob can interact well with ChatGPT? What ways are not so effective?
Join us as we share our experiences with ChatGPT and Mobbing with a Robot. We first tell the story of ChatGPT joining a mob team for a month to work on a greenfield mobile app.  Next we explore the times when the robot helped to produce great code with the ensemble vs. more problematic code. We then dive into the legal implications of having generative AI in the team. Lastly, we talk about setting the context for ChatGPT to be an extreme programmer, how this changes the researcher role in the mob, and how to capitalize on a robot's sense of humor while teaming. 
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/EpfYAsLl6c8 

Code Whispering with Brett Schuchert

How do you listen to code?What elicits the most accurate and helpful information from the software?After you feel you understand the code, what is the most effective way to tame and change it? 
Join us as we explore The Art of Code Whispering with Brett Schuchert. We kick it off by talking about how "Not Alone-ing" helps with code whispering. Then we discuss executing code to listen to it , TDD, and truly understand code before changing it. Lastly, we get Brett's take on lean product development flow and things he looks for when joining a team.
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/liV5N7CUzS8 
 

Predictability and Flow with Daniel Vacanti

What is predicting software development like? For example, is it more like forecasting a hurricane? Or, more like forecasting the repeat manufacturing of a physical widget? What is the appropriate level of certainty? What effect should that have on our product thinking and practices? 
Join us as we explore predictability and flow with Daniel Vacanti. We not only discuss forecasting hurricanes vs. forecasting product development, but we also dive into thinking in bets like a poker player, continuous forecasting, and bankroll management. We talk through the marketability of rational uncertainty vs. overconfidence. We round it out with planning, kanban, flow, and foundational flow metrics like work item aging. 
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/dy2KQtlDaQ4 

Managing Mob Teams with Vitaly Sharovatov

Do you have any experience managing individuals on a team? How did it go? Alternatively, have you ever resisted the urge to manage and incentive individuals and instead focused on the system, mob/ensemble, or team? What would that be like? What are the pros and cons of either approach? 
Join us as we have a fantastic time discussing with Vitaly Sharovatov where he passionately shares about managing mob teams. First, we dive into The Candle Problem. Second, that leads us into conversationally exploring individual incentives, motivation, systems thinking, and managing mobs. Third, after connecting that to solo vs. ensemble hiring, we jump to mob onboarding, knowledge management, and knowledge systems. Lastly, Vitaly enthusiastically shares about the importance of ethics to everyday tasks in development, engineering, and management. 
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/fVfx2_yfzxQ 

The 1st Habit of a Highly Effective Mobber: Response-ability (7 Habits)

Ever heard someone say "there's nothing we can do" in a team or mob? Or, how about "that's just the way it is"? What effect did it have on the team? What was your response? 
Join Chris and Austin as they discuss The 1st Habit of a Highly Effective Mobber: "Response-ability." They start with setting the stage regarding this topic's inspiration from the books Turn The Ship Around and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Then they talk about what "response-ability" means and its significance especially in an ensemble programming context. After they clarify the distinction between proactive vs. reactive, they dive into the impact of focusing on your circle of concern vs. focusing on your circle of influence. Lastly, they connect this habit to coaching, retrospectives, learning time, kaizen, and systems thinking. 
Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/IFvjTQTLPak  

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

What is the relation between confidence vs. competence?What does that relation have to do with mob programming?
Join Chris and Austin as they discuss The Dunning-Kruger Effect. They talk about what they have discovered about The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the many different versions of the phases in the model (e.g., "Child's Hill" => "Insecure Canyon" => "Grown-Up Mountain" vs. "Ignorant" => "Cultured" => "Expert"). Then they discuss the relationship between the Dunning-Kruger Effect and mob programming, learning, experimentation, humility, and refactoring.
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/kqHgUKMdms8 

Why Are Things Not Getting Done? with Andy Kwong, Rei Pamintuan, and Aaron Griffith

Why do things not get done in tech? What gets in the way? What causes waiting? What causes re-work?
Join Andy Kwong, Rei Pamintuan, Aaron Griffith, and Austin Chadwick as they not only share horror stories of things not getting done, but they also share joyous stories of things actually getting done. They discuss the wastes that cause all the madness with flow. Lastly, they explain and demonstrate how mob programming has eliminated these wastes in their context.
FYI: The advertised lean coffee portion of this tech talk is not in this episode since there is a pending approval to share it publicly on The Mob Mentality Show.
Video and show notes: https://youtu.be/mLHf9XcuCwU  

Agile Satori, Meatloaf Industrialism, and Ensemble Training with Jon Fazzaro

Ever witnessed someone experience sudden agile enlightenment? What was it like? Is there a method to the magic that can be replicated? Ever seen a new idea face resistance against "the way we have always done it"? How did you handle it?
Join Chris and Austin as they discuss "Agile Satori, Meatloaf Industrialism, and Ensemble Training" with Jon Fazzaro. First, they discuss flipping the classroom, "Nerd Lunch," and ensemble training in light of "the speed of work as the speed of idea sharing." Second, they dive into Meatloaf Industrialism and our unquestioned cultural habits. Lastly, Jon shares about agile satori vs. slow gradual transformation and they discuss the relation between immersion and the paradox of paradigm shifts.
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/_MDgfsWZjOU  

Adapting the Mob RPG for the Classroom with Paul Gestwicki

Imagine you get to design a college class that teaches mob programming, craftsmanship, and agility. What would it look like? How would you do it?
Imagine no more and join Chris and Austin as they discuss with professor Paul Gestwicki his agility focused college courses and how he adapted the Mob RPG for the classroom. Paul talks about how he heard about Mob Programming via a Joe Justice video and shares about his first experiments with using Willem Larsen's Mob RPG Game in the college classroom. Come hear what Paul learned from those experiments and what changes he made to the game to tailor it for his students' levels and context. They all discuss scaffolding for learning navigation skills and Paul tells a TDD and clean code game design success story. Come celebrate awesome educators like Paul Gestwicki in this episode of the Mob Mentality Show!
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/nqVUe7ezHhQ  

What’s a Second Brain and Why You Should Have One with Vince Carpino and Jason Storey

How do you compile knowledge? How do you capture ideas, inspirations, insights, and connections? How do you keep it all organized? What would it look like to do this for a team or mob? 
Join Chris as he explores with Vince Carpino and Jason Storey the intriguing world of second brains. First, Vince defines a second brain and shares about his productivity journey with second brains. Second, they dive into the many different implementations of a second brain ranging from Zettelkasten to Bullet Journaling to Commonplace Books. Throughout they not only talk about benefits of having a second brain but they also share their own personal experiences with them. Lastly, they give some tips for a team or mob who may want to experiment with implementing a collective second brain. 
Video and Show Notes: https://youtu.be/oN8TXOR8sMk