This document discusses building high performing teams in tech through compassionate coding. It argues that many software projects fail not for technical reasons, but due to lack of empathy, ego-driven cultures that tolerate jerky behavior, and lack of learning and meaningful work. It provides three tips for building 10x teams: 1) stop hiring jerks and instead hire for empathy, 2) foster a learning environment with psychological safety and self-compassion, and 3) provide opportunities for meaningful work by understanding individual values and setting a vision with the team. The document advocates for hiring empathetic people, creating a safe space for learning and growth, and giving team members a sense of purpose and vision in their work.
12. @APRILWENSEL
- EMPHASIS ON COMPETITION
- ENGINEERS ARE ALLOWED TO BE JERKS
BECAUSE THEY’RE “SMART”
- “SOFT SKILLS” ARE SEEN AS
UNIMPORTANT, EVEN A WEAKNESS
- ARROGANCE REGARDING “TECHNICAL” VS
“NON-TECHNICAL” SKILLS
16. @COMPASSIONCODE
WHY SOFTWARE PROJECTS FAIL
@APRILWENSELhttps://www.developersalliance.org/developer-insights-report-2015/
CHANGING OR POORLY DOCUMENTED REQUIREMENTS
UNDERFUNDING OR UNDER-RESOURCING
POOR TEAM OR ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT
INSUFFICIENT TIME ALLOCATED TO TESTING
DEVELOPER CHURN AND LOSS OF KEY TALENT
MISSED DELIVERY TIMELINE EXPECTATIONS
TIME CONSTRAINTS AND PRE-MATURE SOFTWARE RELEASE
IMMATURE DEV TOOLS & APPLICATION PLATFORMS17%
21%
22%
23%
32%
37%
40%
48%
21. “…DEMANDING ENRON EMPLOYEES PROVE THAT THEY
WERE SMARTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE INADVERTENTLY
CONTRIBUTED TO A NARCISSISTIC CULTURE, WITH AN
OVERREPRESENTATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WERE BOTH
INCREDIBLY SMUG AND DRIVEN BY DEEP INSECURITY TO
KEEP SHOWING OFF. IT WAS A CULTURE THAT ENCOURAGED
SHORT-TERM PERFORMANCE BUT DISCOURAGED LONG-
TERM LEARNING AND GROWTH.”
Angela Duckworth
Grit
@APRILWENSEL
29. @APRILWENSEL
IMAGINE A SUPPORTIVE, EGOLESS
TEAM WHERE THE ENGINEERS CAN
COMMUNICATE EMPATHETICALLY WITH
EACH OTHER AND WITH DESIGNERS
AND PRODUCT MANAGERS
30. GOOGLE’S PROJECT ARISTOTLE
“WHAT REALLY MATTERED WAS
LESS ABOUT WHO IS ON THE
TEAM, AND MORE ABOUT HOW
THE TEAM WORKED TOGETHER”
@APRILWENSELhttps://rework.withgoogle.com/print/guides/5721312655835136/
34. @APRILWENSEL
“Programmers are crazy about
puzzles, tend to like research
applications and risk-taking,
and don’t like people.”
Cannon & Perry. A vocational interest scale for computer
programmers. 1966.
37. "PROBABLY THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT
GOOD PROGRAMMERS IS THAT THEY ACT LIKE
JOCKS. I USED THE TERM VERY CONSCIOUSLY
BECAUSE IT IS FREIGHTED WITH OVERTONES OF
IMMATURITY, EGOTISM, AND COMPETITIVENESS...'IF
YOU CAN'T DO WHAT I DO, THEN YOU ARE A
WORTHLESS LOSER.'"
Alan Cooper
@APRILWENSEL
The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
39. “IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE TOO SMART FOR
PROGRAMMING—IF THE PERSON IS NOT
SMART ENOUGH TO USE HIS INTELLIGENCE
TO MODIFY HIS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND
METHODS OF CONVERSATION."
Jerry Weinberg
@APRILWENSEL
The Psychology of Computer Programming
40. 1. TEAM ORIENTED
2. SEEKS HELP
3. HELPS OTHERS
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~bieman/Pubs/turleyBiemanCSC94.pdf
ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
@APRILWENSEL
“Identifying Essential Competencies of
Software Engineers,” Turley & Bieman, 1994
44. "GENERALLY, WE’RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE
THAT UNDERSTAND THERE ARE MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES, ARE SENSITIVE TO OTHER
PEOPLE, AND CAN DEMONSTRATE THE
ABILITY TO IMAGINE WHAT SOMEONE ELSE
MIGHT BE THINKING OR FEELING.“
Jamie Talbot, Medium Engineering
@APRILWENSEL
https://medium.engineering/engineering-interviews-grading-rubric-8b409bec021f
47. @APRILWENSEL
“WHITEBOARDING UNDERSCORES ‘THIS NOTION OF
THIS SOLO OR VIRTUOSO ENGINEER WHO CAN
PERSONALLY SOLVE THE PUZZLE…AS A
COMPANY…WE DON’T BELIEVE IN PUTTING SPECIFIC
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS ON A PEDESTAL. WE
WANT TO SEE HOW WELL DO PEOPLE PERFORM IN A
TEAM AND PERFORM REAL WORK.”
—AARON KIMBALL, CTO, ZYMERGEN
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/tech-start-up-women-
brogrammers
48. • CODE REVIEWS
• NAMING VARIABLES
• NEGOTIATING TRADEOFFS WITH PM
• DESIGNING APIS
• RALLYING SUPPORT FOR A NEW
TOOL
• INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES
• MENTORING NEW HIRES
@APRILWENSEL
49. @APRILWENSEL
"A WEB PROGRAMMING CANDIDATE WHO CAN
CODE IN JAVASCRIPT COULD GET THE JOB
DONE. A WEB PROGRAMMING CANDIDATE
WHO CAN CODE IN JAVASCRIPT AND WHO HAS
HIGH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE? THEY
COULD HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK.”
—DENESE SKINNER
https://www.inc.com/amarillo/emotionally-intelligent-employees.html
50. @APRILWENSEL
“EVEN IF THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMER CAN
WRITE GREAT CODE VERY FAST, IF THAT
PROGRAMMER CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE
NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES OF BUSINESS
OWNERS/USERS, THAT PROGRAMMER IS
GOING TO WRITE A LOT OF GREAT CODE TO
NOWHERE.”
—BRUCE TULGAN
Closing the Soft Skills Gap
51. @APRILWENSEL
1. INCLUDE EMPATHY IN YOUR HIRING
RUBRIC
2. DITCH THE WHITEBOARDING INTERVIEWS
- REPLACE WITH TECHNICAL JOB/
PROJECT TALKS
55. “I’M SCARED THAT IF I SAY ‘I
DON’T KNOW,’ THEY’LL THINK
THEY MADE A MISTAKE IN
HIRING ME.”
—OVERHEARD (AKA CREEPILY EAVESDROPPED)
@APRILWENSEL
56. “OUR…FIGHT-FLEE-OR-FREEZE RESPONSE
IS TRIGGERED BY FEARS OF FAILURE AND
EMBARRASSMENT THAT INTERFERE WITH
OUR ABILITIES TO ENGAGE IN CREATIVITY,
CRITICAL AND INNOVATIVE THINKING, AND
EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHERS.”
Katherine Ludwig & Edward Hess
Humility is the New Smart
@APRILWENSEL
60. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
WAS FOUND TO BE THE
MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR
IN TEAM EFFECTIVENESS AT
GOOGLE
@APRILWENSELhttps://rework.withgoogle.com/print/guides/5721312655835136/
61. “IN A TEAM WITH HIGH
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY,
TEAMMATES…FEEL CONFIDENT THAT
NO ONE ON THE TEAM WILL
EMBARRASS OR PUNISH ANYONE ELSE
FOR ADMITTING A MISTAKE, ASKING A
QUESTION, OR OFFERING A NEW IDEA.”
@APRILWENSELhttps://rework.withgoogle.com/print/guides/5721312655835136/
62. SHARED OWNERSHIP -
NOT “WHO BROKE THE
BUILD?” BUT WHY DID IT
BREAK? AND HOW DO WE
FIX IT AND PREVENT IT?
@APRILWENSEL
66. “REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DISCOVER, WE
UNDERSTAND AND TRULY BELIEVE THAT
EVERYONE DID THE BEST JOB THEY COULD,
GIVEN WHAT THEY KNEW AT THE TIME, THEIR
SKILLS AND ABILITIES, THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE, AND THE SITUATION AT HAND.”
–NORM KERTH
@APRILWENSEL
73. "A HIGHLY PAID EXPERT SHOULDN'T BE
HIGHLY PAID JUST BECAUSE SHE'S AN
EXPERT. SHE SHOULD BE HIGHLY PAID
BECAUSE SHE IS HELPING OTHER PEOPLE
BECOME EXPERTS."
Ron Jeffries
The Nature of Software Development
@APRILWENSEL
77. “WHEN OUR BRAINS ARE OPENED BY
POSITIVE EMOTIONS LIKE JOY, WE
CAN BETTER SEE CONNECTIONS AND
MORE OPTIONS TO SOLVE WORK
PROBLEMS.”
Shawn Murphy
The Optimistic Workplace
@APRILWENSEL
78. @APRILWENSEL
1. PROVIDE TIME AND BUDGET FOR
LEARNING
2. BE THOUGHTFUL IN ONBOARDING
3. PAIR PROGRAM
4. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MENTORING IS
PART OF THE JOB
5. HOLD REGULAR BLAMELESS RETROS
80. “FINDING A SENSE OF PURPOSE IN EITHER
THE WORK ITSELF OR THE OUTPUT IS
IMPORTANT FOR TEAM EFFECTIVENESS.
THE MEANING OF WORK IS PERSONAL AND
CAN VARY: FINANCIAL SECURITY,
SUPPORTING FAMILY, HELPING THE TEAM
SUCCEED, OR SELF-EXPRESSION FOR EACH
INDIVIDUAL, FOR EXAMPLE.”
@APRILWENSELhttps://rework.withgoogle.com/print/guides/5721312655835136/
82. "WORKPLACE OPTIMISM
THRIVES WHEN PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SHOW
UP TO WORK."
Shawn Murphy
The Optimistic Workplace
@APRILWENSEL
83. "IF PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY IN THEIR JOBS, THEY
WILL NOT REMAIN ENGAGED…THEY MAY NOT
QUIT FORMALLY, BUT THEY WILL QUIT
EMOTIONALLY.…THE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO
PROVIDE THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, & SPIRITUAL
WELL-BEING."
Fred Kofman
Conscious Business
@APRILWENSEL
84. "THOSE OF US WHOSE WORK IS TO
WRITE SOFTWARE ARE INCREDIBLY
LUCKY…WE GET TO USE OUR CREATIVE
ENERGY TO GET THINGS DONE…WE
PRODUCE THINGS THAT MATTER."
Sandi Metz
Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby
@APRILWENSEL
85. 1. KNOW YOUR OWN CORE VALUES
2. COLLABORATIVELY BUILD VISION WITH
TEAM
3. BE CONSISTENT WITH TEAM VALUES -
DON’T JUST HANG A POSTER!
4. ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR
WHOLE SELVES TO WORK - ALLOW
TIME FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES
@APRILWENSEL
86. 1. HIRE FOR EMPATHY
(NO JERKS!)
2. FOSTER LEARNING
3. PROVIDE MEANING
@APRILWENSEL
87. “IF IT IS NOT TEMPERED BY
COMPASSION AND EMPATHY,
REASON CAN LEAD MEN AND
WOMEN INTO A MORAL VOID.”
Karen Armstrong
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
@APRILWENSEL
88. LET’S NOT MAKE THE
SAME MISTAKES AS
SILICON VALLEY—WE
CAN DO BETTER!
@APRILWENSEL