by Kristin Moore, AgileGames/ Mob Programming conference volunteer, updated by Nancy Van Schooenderwoert for 2020
Jan 21, 2020
Torrey Powell 
Nate Wixom
Nate Wixom and Torrey Powell pondered this thought together over drinks after attending the 2017 Mob Programming conference. Nate steers Marketing Technology and Torrey leads Software Engineering at Clearlink. Both had separately stumbled upon Mob Programming as a solution for challenges in their respective organizations. Torrey and Nate came back in 2018 to share their step-by-step journey from mobbing with a couple of teams to mobbing with twelve to fifteen teams. Now in 2020, Torrey is on the conference Program Team, helping to grow our Leaders Track.
Prior to adopting mob programming, developers at Clearlink worked individually for the most part. “The system was medieval. We’d joke about getting torches for the walls,” said Nate. Interior decorating concerns aside, Nate was observing projects that “seem to wander into the woods” and take much longer than conceived. He brought in a consultant who suggested the idea of mob programming. About the same time, Torrey’s team was designing a new application from the ground up. At a meeting early on to discuss architecture and hash out a game plan, one of his team members suggested they simply do it all together to stay on the same page. It was serendipity that their organic start to mobbing came at the same time Nate was considering the approach.
Nate and Torrey were key allies to each other in the transformation. After the 2017 conference, “we drafted our Mob Programming Manifesto on what we wanted to follow.” Having two organizations trying the same approach built momentum. Executives needed convincing. Questions needed to be answered. Teams persuaded to adopt a new way of getting work done. The concept proven with results. One by one, Nate and Torrey worked through their manifesto goals. They saw tangible benefits to mob programming and it has worked out well. Executive buy-in is 100%.
Surprises have mostly been pleasant. “There is greater knowledge sharing, better morale. Quality has increased – there are fewer bugs going out the door. The skill level of developers has increased. The level of engagement with stakeholders outside the organization has increased as they join in with a mob.” Importantly, mob programming has accommodated Clearlink‘s rapid growth. “We’re bringing 2 – 3 developers on per month. It is much easier and effective to put them in a mob than to have individual training with a developer.” Nate and Torrey acknowledge Mob Programming isn’t a fit for all individual styles. “We lost a few developers in the transition.” Unexpectedly, “we’re now attracting higher quality developers because they know we are doing mob programming.”
Join us for the Mob Programming 2020 Conference in Boston on May 30-31. Torrey will speak as part of the Leaders Track (program being developed now) and he especially welcomes “anyone aspiring to try mob programming, if they are anywhere on the fence. They can understand our journey, what we’ve overcome and how we did it. How to sell it to executives and get corporate buy-in.” Genius indeed, don’t miss it!