© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Whose Line of Code is it Anyway?

ThoughtWorks India Away Day 2006

John Johnston

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Improv and Agile

• Scripts are the showbiz version of BUFD

– They can work

– Sometimes they are really good

– But sometimes years of preparation and deep thought don’t pay off.

• There is an alternative

• Improv is the agile approach to showbiz

• Improv does not mean there is no process or plan

• Like Agile, Improv relies on a set of core values and reinforcing practices

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Complimentary Nuts

Improv

• Flexibility

– Offering & Accepting

– Don’t pre-plan

• Collaboration

– Team work

– Trust

• Refactoring

– Be altered

• Simplicity

– Be obvious

– Be boring

Agile

• Flexibility

– Incremental Design

– Adaptive planning

• Collaboration

– Pairing

– Conversations

• Refactoring

– Embrace change

• Simplicity

– Do the simplest thing that could possibly work

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Customer Focused

• You have an onsite customer – the audience

• Their delight and satisfaction is the ultimate goal

• Can you align your enjoyment with theirs?

• How?

– Listen to them

– Use your skill and expertise to deliver on your promises

• Remember that you are there for them.

– Enjoy yourself

– Not at the expense of the audience

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Improv Spirit!

• Offering and Accepting are at the heart of improvisation

• What is an Offer?

It’s anything you say….

… or anything you do.

So long as your partner accepts it

• Accepting is easy.

• It’s all about the magic word. YES

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Bad Medicine

• That seems easy enough but sometimes it’s hard to relinquish control

• People try to take control by:

– Negating offers

– Rejecting action

– Saying “NO”

• This is BLOCKING. It’s real bad.

• Being half-hearted is just as bad – WIMPING

• For that matter wise-cracking is as bad as blocking. No GAGGING

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Be simple, be special

• When the going gets tough remember your Improv Spirit.

• Keep it simple:

– Be obvious

– Be ordinary

– Be fun (not funny!)

• The hardest skill to master

– How will I look brilliant?

© ThoughtWorks, 2006

Enough with the talking…

• Jazz hands

• Warm – Up

• Machines

• Tug of war

• Three word sentences

• Word-at-a-time

• Yes and…

• Alphabet Game