1. Agile Software Development The Cooperative Game
Alistair Cockburn
Humans and Technology

2. Consider developing software as a “cooperative game of invention and communication”
Playing the cooperative game deliberately produces good strategies.
Cooperative issues govern much of the game:
Project-specific individuals and situations
Distances, Convection currents of information
Pride-in-work, Amicability matter
“Agile” development is an approach to playing the game effectively.

3. Developing software is making ideas concrete in an economic context.
People inventing and communicating ---
Solving a problem they don't yet understand,
(which keeps changing out from under them)
Creating a solution they don't yet understand,
Writing in languages they don’t yet understand,
To an interpreter unforgiving of error ---
Where every choice has economic consequences, --- and resources are limited.

4. Why don’t Processes solve the problem ?
Wish: The ideal process allows a company to eliminate its dependence on key individuals, producing software reliably, repeatably.
do that
do this

5. Complex processes using people don’t work as written !
“Work to rule”
-doing only what the process calls for- is a standard work-slowdown technique.
Why does breaking the process improve it?
(It was wrong to start with)
Why do workers bother to break rules to improve it?
(Pride in accomplishment)
Software development is really a Cooperative Game -- of invention and communication

6. Organization Survival
Software Development is a goal-directed cooperative game ( just like business !)
Organization Survival
Infinite
Career Management
King-of-the-hill
wrestling
Finite w/
no fixed end
Jazz music
Poker
Tennis
Rock-Climbing
Finite &
goal-directed
Software
Development
Competitive
Cooperative

7. A resource-limited cooperative game
Primary Goal  Deliver this software
Secondary Goal  Set up for the next game
Two conflicting games in one
Net result: Not repeatable !
Game Elements:
People, Cooperation, Invention, Communication

8. The players in the game are PEOPLE - and People are stuffed full of personality
Methodology
Ecosystem
Values
Values
Activities
Milestones
Jenny
Jim
Peter
Annika
Quality
Process
Teams
Tester
Designer
Documenter
Project manager
Products
Techniques
Roles
People
Standards
Tools
Skills
Personality

9. Methodologies get rebuilt around ecosystems
Marketing
group
Business
analysts
Marketplace
Programmers
Jenny
(Pete)
Bill
Mary
(swimsuits)

10. Methodology and Ecosystem are always in interplay
When each changes, the ecosystem rearranges itself.
Ecosystem:
Actual project details (“environment”)
Flights of stairs people must climb (“cliffs”)
Office layout (“terrain”)
Staff roles (“species”)
Specific strong people (“predators”)

11. People are unpredictable, spontaneous devices
Weak on: Strong on:
Consistency Communicating
Discipline Looking around
Following instructions Copy / modify-Changing work habits
Motivated by:
Pride in work
Pride in contributing
Pride in accomplishment

12. “Convection Currents of Information” : a playful COMMUNICATIONs metaphor
Kim
Proximity
Osmosis
Drafts
Radiators
Pat

13. What can we tell from an office plan?
Courtesy of
RoleModel Software

14. Poor office layout costs the project a lot
Programmers cost = $ 2.10 / minute (± 50%)
Reference pair 100 questions/week
1 minute delay / question = $210/week
(100 work min.)
... for 12 people on a project = $ 2,500 / week
... for 12 month project = $ 100,000
(= 6 work weeks =~ 1.5 work months)
+ Lost Opportunity Costs for questions not asked!

15. People don’t ask questions if they have to climb stairs.
Kim
Pat
Think $300,000 / yr penalty.
(1/3 work year)
Kim
Pat
Think $100,000 / yr penalty.
(1.5 work month)

16. Information drifts in currents -- (not unlike perfume)
Kim
Pat
Still Effective.
Nearby programming
Kim
Pat
Most effective.
Programming in pairs
“Managing the Flow of Technology,” Thomas J. Allen,
M.I.T. Sloan School of Management
“Distance Matters,” Olson & Olson

17. “Nearby programming” is effective
“Nearby programming” is effective. “Programming in pairs” is more effective.
Photo courtesy of Thoughtworks corp.

18. Beware: Morale flows through convection currents and osmosis, too!
Photo courtesy of Evant corp.

19. NOW can you tell anything from an office plan?
Kitchen
Programming work
Meeting
Private work
Library
Watch for:
drafts
convection currents
communities
Courtesy of Ken Auer,
RoleModel Software, Inc.

20. Elements of the “convection current” discussion
 Proximity
 Osmosis
 Drafts
 Radiators

21. Information radiators emit passively
People get information
just by walking past !
Photos courtesy of Thoughtworks

22. Information radiators are suited for plans, status, initiatives
Reflection workshop results
Iteration Plan
Courtesy of Evant corp.
Courtesy Joshua Kerievsky

23. COOPERATION: The alignment of people’s goals affects the team efficiency
Normal team
Aligned team
(Dirty Dozen again)

24. COOPERATION: Amicability between people determines how quickly information moves
Amicability : Willingness to listen with good will
The “amicability index” indicates how easily information passes from one part of the organization to another.
A low amicability index implies that people block the flow of information, intentionally or through not listening well.

25. A project’s speed largely depends on Cooperative Game issues
Can people easily detect something needs attention?
(Good at Looking Around)
Will they care enough to mention it or attend to it?
(Pride-in-work; Amicability)
Can they effectively pass along the information?
(Economics of proximity, convection currents)

26. Every game run uses different strategies -- Set up each project’s accordingly or suffer
Number of people coordinated
Comfort
Essential
moneys
Life
1 - 6
- 20
- 40
- 100
- 200
- 500
- 1,000 C6
C20
C40
C100
C200
C500
C1000 D6
D20
D40
D100
D200
D500
D1000 E6
E20
E40
E100
E200
E500
E1000 L6
L20
L40
L100
L200
L500
L1000
Discretionary
“Criticality”

27. The Cooperative Games is part of the Agile Software Development story
Agile Software Development Manifesto:
“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over Processes and Tools
Working software over Comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation
Responding to change over Following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”

28. Agile development puts delivering software, and people as the active ingredients
Frequent delivery
Fewer, better people
Motivation & goal alignment
Communication, more verbal communication
Simplified designs
Different tactics for different projects
Frequent feedback and reflective examination
Agile development plays the cooperative game effectively by delivering software early, regularly, efficiently.

29. Read more at http:// Alistair.Cockburn.us