Mob programming

Mob programming is a software development approach where the whole team works on the same thing, at the same time, in the same space, and at the same computer. This is similar to pair programming where two people sit at the same computer and collaborate on the same code at the same time. With Mob Programming the collaboration is extended to everyone on the team, while still using a single computer for writing the code and inputting it into the code base.^[1]

It builds on principles of lean manufacturing, extreme programming, and lean software development. Early use of the phrase "Mob programming", was made in "Extreme Programming Perspectives"^[2]

A review of the concept of mob programming

In addition to software coding, a mob programming team can work together to do almost all the work a typical software development team tackles, such as defining user stories or requirements, designing, testing, deploying software, and working with the customer and business experts. Almost all work is handled in working meetings or workshops, and all the people involved in creating the software are considered to be team members, including the customer and business experts.^[3]

Examples

• In Kanban In Action Sundén and Hammarberg discuss mob programming in relation to Limiting Work In Progress^[4]

• Marcus Hammarberg discusses Mob Programming at CodeBetter^[5]

• Per Jansson on "This is the story about how we in our development team used mob programming as a way to develop software."^[6]

• Mob Programming, and the importance of fun at work discussed at SoCraTes UK 2014^[7]

References

1. Zuill, Woody (2014). "Mob Programming: A Whole Team Approach" (PDF). Agile2014 Conference Experience Reports.
2. Moses Hohman; Andrew Slocum (2003). "Chapter 28. Mob Programming and the Transition to XP". Extreme Programming Perspectives. Addison-Wesley.
3. Nigri, Julien. "Le Mob Programming : Présentation". Soat (in French). Soat. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
4. Joakim Sundén; Marcus Hammarberg (2014). Lexleigh, Beth; Kane, Cynthia, eds. Kanban In Action. Shelter Island, NY: Manning Publications Co. p. 114. ISBN 9781617291050.
5. Hammarberg, Marcus. "Mob programming – Full Team, Full Throttle". CodeBetter. CodeBetter. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
6. Jansson, Per. "Get a good start with mob programming". Per Jansson.
7. Talwar, Samir. "Mob Programming, and the importance of fun at work". Codurance, Craft At The Heart. Codurance LTD. Retrieved 9 September 2014.