Languages, frameworks, testing, toolkits, and methods. These are the things we spend our time learning, discussing and debating. We spend very little time (if any) discussing the most important factor in how we work and how we succeed: our team and our teamwork. In my talk I'll discuss what makes a great team and why you need to be on one. I'll draw from 10 years of experience running multiple startups in multiple countries, from small 2 man teams to managing an organisation of over 100 technical professionals. Technology and tools are easy. Humans and human relationships are hard.

1. Your BEST Chance for
Success

2. MOTORCYCLE RACING AN
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMEN

3. VALENTINO ROSSI

4. JEREMY BURGESS

5. HONDA RC211V

6. In
SoftwareAt Least 80%
Depends on Your
Team

7. WHAT
DO YOU
OPTIMIS

8. Choose
OneGreat Team, Crap Business Model
Great Business Model, Crap Team

9. Who am I?
4th Startup
CEO of Administrate
GetAdministrate.com
@johnjpeebles
john@peebs.org
PEEBS.org

10. I’m
Passionate
About
Teams

11. Inspire
Equip
Motivate

12. Every
Success I’ve
Had in Life
Has Come
from Great

13. Nontraditiona
l Teams

14. A GREAT TEAM CAN
CHANGE THE WORLD
Fantastic products
Unbelievable outcomes
Size is almost irrelevant

15. TEAM: YOUR BEST CHANCE FOR

16. THINK BACK TO UNIVERSIT

17. - JOHN CARMACK, ID SOFTWARE
quite a bit about software
development, both on the
personal craftsman level but
also paying more attention by
what it means on the team
dynamics side of things….It’s
about social interactions between
the programmers or even
between yourself spread over
time…

18. - FRED WILSON, UNION SQUARE
VENTURES
“We made the classic mistake
that all investors make. We
focused too much on what
they were doing at the time
and not enough on what they
could do, would do, and did
do. …we don't always get it right.
We missed Airbnb even though
we loved the team. Big mistake.”

19. The 1983 NC State Wolfpack

20. HALLMARKS OF A BAD TEAM
No clear goal
Constant fundamental disagreement on
approach
Unproductive
Poor communication
High Attrition
Not fun
Politics:
No meritocracy
Sacred cows
Lack of transparency

21. IF YOU WERE STARTING YOUR OWN
COMPANY…

22. Success
Without
People is
Empty

23. THE PROBLEM
WITH DEFINING
GREAT TEAMS IS…
Every Mission Statement Ever

24. HALLMARKS OF A GREAT
TEAMA Common Goal
High Trust
Respect for Each Other
High Standards (A sense of being
elite)
Productive (Great Teams Ship)
Things feel easy, Everyone has fun
Nobody leaves
High Responsibility (Ownership)

25. GREAT TEAMS
STAY TOGETHER
Pay cuts
Product is secondary
“Work with X!”

26. You must be a good leader
You must have authority
Difficult in a larger organization
This will be painful, and slow!
How to Build a Great Team

27. Stay focused on your goals
Always show your work (transparent)
Search for disagreement
Play the devil’s advocate
Be the dumbest person in the room
Be funny
Be calm
Don’t tolerate politics or assholes
How to Lead a Team

28. MANAGEMENT
By Context
By Philosophy
By Values

29. AGILE AND
LEAN: BUILT
ON THE
ASSUMPTION
OF GREATEver seen Agile in a Large Corporate
Environment?

30. MVP: MINIMUM VIABLE
PROCESS
Examples of Minimum Viable
Process:
Source Control, Tests, Documentation
Good process should be an
accelerant. Instead it's often a
distraction or limiter.

31. HOW TO PRESERVE
GREAT TEAMS
Protect the Team
Invest in the Team
Inspire the Team
Listen to the Team
2nd Law of Thermodynamics applies!

32. ASSESS YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Can you do
this?

33. LIFE IS
TOO
SHORT

34. RESOURCE
S
Peopleware – Demarco and Lister
Reference Guide on Our Freedom and
Responsibility Culture – Reed Hastings
http://www.slideshare.net/reed2001
Smart and Gets Things Done – Joel
Spolsky

35. GET IN
TOUCH!
(P.S. WE’RE HIRING)
john@peebs.org
@johnjpeebles
GetAdministrate.com
PEEBS.org
John Peebles