How we do software

This document describes the essentials of how we collaborate on the mission of creating elegant and intuitive software fast and having fun together while we do so. This is an internal document used to help new people onboard TigerTeamX. It is not an elegant blog article but more of a work-in-progress document.

Our Mission

Our mission is to craft software that solves our users' problems elegantly, simply, and enjoyably, making it inevitable for users to adore our software.

Guiding Principles

Our shared understanding of how we build great software is distilled into our guiding principles.

1. Ownership Principle

The more autonomy we can leverage, the more we get done. Taking ownership of tasks is crucial to getting the right stuff and more done. We apply our best judgment and execute instead of asking for permission. When unavoidable, we ask questions but provide potential solutions to our questions. We take ownership of the tasks and ensure the work is of sound quality.

2. Clarity Principle

Clear communication is essential for productivity - We spend additional time ensuring work is understandable. Feedback is complete and presented in the appropriate channels and format.

3. Simplicity Principle

Our tools, solutions, and processes are simple enough so we can focus on the essentials. Simplicity is a virtue that is hard to obtain but worthwhile, and simple solutions are often the most elegant. We make use of habits to reduce distractions and waste.

4. Enhancement Over Innovation Principle

Good solutions are plentiful but are seldom perfected to be elegant. We enjoy developing solutions that go above and beyond without being overly groundbreaking.

Daily Status Meeting (DSM)

The DSM is every working morning and helps teams get updated on current tasks and get started on new ones.

Typical Agenda:

General Announcements

Each member delivers a Status Statement

New Task + prioritization introduced by the team lead

Besides that, the team lead will prepare tasks at least 10 minutes before the meeting. Each member must check the "Up Next" before each meeting.

The Status Statement (SS)

The purpose of the SS is to keep the team up to date while helping to steer the development. A team member might have valuable input about your task therefore, delivering an understandable SS is crucial. Keep the SS as concise and precise as possible and within 3 minutes. Consider using verbal, image, video, or demo while presenting.

How We Communicate

We communicate primarily using Goleko.com, and you can ping anyone using their handle in the comments. We also use Telegram for more urgent messages, but please avoid doing so outside working hours, and don't expect people to be on their phones during their working hours.

It is crucial to follow The Guiding Principles while communicating as we communicate mainly async, meaning that you can't expect someone to keep a chat ongoing with you. If your questions are clear (Clarity) and simple, it will be easy to answer yes, no, or something else. If not, it will strain your teammate's time and energy.

It is always possible to arrange a meeting with the team member if something additional is needed, but favor 1-1 with clear agendas.

Closing

You can always consult our mission statement and values if you're in doubt.