Charity Majors is a writer, speaker, and the co-founder and CTO of Honeycomb, an observability platform for debugging and optimizing distributed systems.
In this episode of Distributed, Jack Hannah talks with Charity about the realities of leading and scaling a distributed company. From why remote work is not best for every situation to the communication tax of distributed management, Charity shares what she has learned about building effective teams, fostering trust, and staying connected in a remote environment. She also reflects on her own leadership journey, from CEO back to CTO, and how greater self-awareness and empathy have shaped her approach to work and life.
—
Where to find Charity Majors:
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/charity.wtf
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charity-majors/
• Website: https://charity.wtf/
—
Where to find Jack Hannah:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/
• Website: https://tuple.app/
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:15) Why remote work isn’t best for everything
(03:20) What Charity learned from her viral Bluesky post on RTOs
(08:33) Why distributed teams need more and better management
(11:33) How to get the most from a remote work experience as an engineer
(14:30) Why 10x engineers matter less than 10x teams
(18:06) How trust and psychological safety drive high-performing teams(20:58) Signs of a healthy organization for job seekers
(24:17) Charity’s transition from CEO to CTO and the challenges of down-leveling
(26:31) When stepping back in your career can be the right move
(30:44) How self-awareness transformed Charity’s approach to leadership and life
(34:42) Rapid-fire round
—
Referenced:
• Honeycomb: https://www.honeycomb.io/
• Charity’s post on Bluesky about RTO policies: https://bsky.app/profile/charity.wtf/post/3lq4cgak3vk24
• How 37signals handles communication, meetings, and setting work boundaries: https://tuple.app/distributed/How-37signals-handles-communication-meetings-and-setting-work-boundaries-with-Rosa-Gutierrez
• In Praise of “Normal” Engineers: https://charity.wtf/2025/06/19/in-praise-of-normal-engineers/
• Christine Yen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineyen/
• Simon Willison’s blog: https://simonwillison.net/
• Dr. Cat Hicks' newsletter, Fight for the Human: https://www.fightforthehuman.com/
37signals embraced remote work long before it became mainstream. Its Shape Up framework helped define how remote product teams ship fast, but not every team inside the company follows the same playbook. In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah sits down with Rosa Gutiérrez, Principal Programmer at 37signals and founding board member of the Ruby on Rails Foundation.
Rosa takes us inside SEIP (Security, Infrastructure, and Performance), the team responsible for everything from privacy and legacy app maintenance to large-scale infrastructure moves, such as migrating 37signals off the cloud. She shares how a writing-first culture, asynchronous communication, and a flexible, reactive approach let her team thrive outside of the Shape Up model.
—
Where to find Rosa Gutiérrez:
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rosa.codes
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosagutierrezescudero/
• Website: https://rosa.codes/
—
Where to find Jack Hannah:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/
• Website: https://tuple.app/
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:18) Rosa’s role at 37signals
(04:10) How long-form writing is critical to 37signals’ culture
(07:34) How Rosa adapted to 37signals’ asynchronous communication and unique work style
(10:00) The benefits of asynchronous communication for focus, flexibility, and easy reference
(12:08) Why 37signals suits introverts and how they handle in-person meetups
(14:25) Why Shape Up doesn’t fit the kind of work Rosa’s team does
(17:41) How Rosa’s team prioritizes incoming issues during on-call rotations
(21:22) Why Rosa’s flexible work style makes her a perfect fit for SEIP’s reactive team
(26:03) The challenge remote workers face in setting boundaries
(27:46) A case for getting out of the house to create a better work-life balance
—
Referenced:
• 37signals: https://37signals.com/
• Hey: https://www.hey.com/
• Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/
• Ruby on Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/
• Shape Up: https://basecamp.com/shapeup
• Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters: https://basecamp-goods.com/products/shapeup
How do you keep a massive, distributed engineering organization with 80,000 employees aligned and actually understanding one another? In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah sits down with Ian Varley, Principal Architect at Salesforce, to talk about how he helps their thousands of engineers across global teams stay informed and connected.
Their conversation explores why clear communication is the backbone of great engineering, practical ways to disseminate knowledge across distributed teams, and how to use AI to make it all faster and easier. You’ll come away with tips you can use right away to break silos, build trust, and make information flow more smoothly in your own organization.
—
Where to find Ian Varley:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianvarley/
• Website: https://ianvarley.com/
—
Where to find Jack Hannah:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/
• Website: https://tuple.app/
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:11) What “borg up” means and why shared understanding matters
(02:20) Practical techniques for using LLMs to communicate more clearly
(05:25) Why you can’t just ask an LLM to write for you
(06:45) How writing itself sharpens thinking and adds clarity
(08:34) The risk of “enshittification” in communication and how to avoid it
(09:38) Using LLMs as a true thought partner instead of a shortcut
(10:55) Why investing in shared understanding pays off in the long run
(16:55) Ian’s unique role at Salesforce as a knowledge sherpa
(22:02) How Ian’s role evolved to Principal Architect with a focus on mentoring and educating
(25:05) What Ian learned from blending engineering, infrastructure, and coordination on HBase
(30:34) How Ian amplifies impact by enabling others to spread knowledge
(33:30) How AI can make work easier
(35:15) Co-Intelligence and the framing of AI as “alien intelligence”
(36:56) Ian’s process for title generating with Claude
(39:00) Closing thoughts
—
Referenced:
• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/
• Haohan Wang’s post on X: https://x.com/HaohanWang/status/194741703347975783
• How Staff Engineers approach leading remote teams with Cassia Scheffer: https://tuple.app/distributed/how-staff-engineers-approach-leading-remote-teams-with-cassia-scheffer-from-wealthsimple
• Creating High-Performing Remote Engineering Teams with Carlos Rosão: https://tuple.app/distributed/creating-high-performing-remote-engineering-teams-with-carlos-rosao-from-newstore
• 10 Principles for Architecture at Salesforce: https://engineering.salesforce.com/10-principles-for-architecture-at-salesforce-82105d5399a8/
• Brad Arkin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-arkin/
• Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI: https://www.amazon.com/Co-Intelligence-Living-Working-Ethan-Mollick/dp/059371671X
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah speaks with Jori Lallo, co-founder of Linear, to unpack how he and his co-founders shaped one of the most opinionated products in software. They discuss why the team built a product before a business, the principles behind the Linear Method, and how feedback and work trials define Linear’s culture.
The conversation also explores the realities of running a team split across Europe and the U.S., the role of in-person meetups, and how AI is reshaping both Linear’s workflows and the future of collaboration.
For anyone interested in remote work, intentional culture, and the next chapter of software building, this is a conversation worth hearing.
—
Where to find Jori Lallo:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/
—
Where to find Jack Hannah:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/
• Website: https://tuple.app/
—
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:08) Why Linear’s founders built a product before a business
(03:40) How the co-founders of Linear met
(05:01) Shaping Linear’s opinionated philosophy and building tools for modern teams
(09:40) Why the Linear Method still resonates today and where it needs a refresh
(11:45) The role of feedback in Linear’s product culture
(15:40) How Linear approaches hiring
(18:05) The secret ingredient they look for when hiring
(22:18) How Linear operates as a fully remote company
(24:51) How Linear balances synchronous and asynchronous work across Europe and the U.S.
(27:12) The importance of in-person meetups and social connection
(29:38) How work trials act as a filter for alignment and fit
(31:08) How AI is changing collaboration and work at Linear
(37:31) Closing thoughts
—
Referenced:
• Linear: https://linear.app/
• Karri Saarinen on X: https://x.com/karrisaarinen/
• Tuomas Artman on X: https://x.com/artman
• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/
• The Linear Method: Practices for building: https://linear.app/method
• Why and how we do work trials at Linear: https://linear.app/now/why-and-how-we-do-work-trials-at-linear
• The heirloom tomato org chart (Nan Yu, Head of Product, Linear): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4vvBidQcck
• Clerk Cofounder & CEO on how to build a company that delivers incredible DX: https://tuple.app/distributed/clerk-cofounder-and-ceo-on-how-to-build-a-company-that-delivers-incredible-dx
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with Jeff Langr, a software coach, author, and longtime XP advocate. Jeff has helped teams across dozens of companies navigate Agile, pairing, and collaborative programming practices.
Jack and Jeff dig into the surprising downsides of traditional agile software development and how mob programming offers a more inclusive and sustainable way to work. Jeff also shares what works (and doesn’t) about return-to-office efforts and why many organizations are failing to support effective remote collaboration.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Jeff Langr
(01:20) – Why mob programming beats solo and pair workflows
(04:15) – Reducing work in progress to boost team flow
(06:12) – The hidden time costs of traditional agile rituals
(08:53) – What makes mob programming a bad choice
(14:26) – How to keep everyone engaged (in-person vs remote)
(18:35) – The two rules every mob team should follow
(23:48) – Navigating fear and vulnerability in mobbing
(24:26) – Turning a skeptic into a mob programming advocate
(25:41) – Why return-to-office pushes often reflect leadership failure
Where to connect further:
Connect with Jeff Langr on LinkedIn and his website
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Woody Zuill, the programmer, coach, and speaker best known for popularizing mob programming.
Rather than rehashing the basics of mob programming, Woody talks about what it means to focus on effectiveness instead of productivity and what management gets all wrong. Woody shares insights from decades of experience coaching teams around the world and explains how to create environments that allow real collaboration to flourish.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Woody Zuill
(01:10) – The Robert Henri quote that frames Woody’s philosophy
(03:16) – Letting teams self-organize and experiment with how they work freely
(07:41) – Cutting a 500-bug backlog to 17 by working closely as a team
(10:11) – Why separating teams by specialty fragments doesn’t work
(12:22) – Productivity vs. effectiveness and who software is really for
(14:55) – Figuring out what matters through doing, not managing
(17:26) – Will AI replace teams or change how they collaborate?
(19:12) – The role of AI in software development and teamwork
(22:03) – Woody’s advice to new engineers and how to shape better workplaces
References
Jack’s favorite talk from Woody: Mob Programming: A Whole Team Approach
Lean Software Development by Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck
The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety by Timothy Clark
Where to connect further:
Connect with Woody Zuill on LinkedIn and on his website
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah talks to Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick, the creators of the Mob Mentality Show and longtime engineering leaders at Hunter Industries. Chris, Director of Global Software Development, and Austin, Distinguished Engineer, reflect on mob programming and how practices spread. They open up about what it takes to protect team culture while growing, discuss lessons from their 300+ videos on mob programming and agile, and how AI is just another member of the mob.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick
(01:52) – Rearranging cubicles to make pairing possible
(03:09) – The first mob and why it worked
(05:01) – Repairing a wonky relationship with the product owner
(06:14) – Austin’s first mob and learning a new language on the fly
(07:41) – The Mob Mentality Show origin story
(09:22) – How Chris and Austin keep their episodes lean and sustainable
(12:17) – Diffusion of innovation and spreading practices
(15:18) – AI-generated code with domain languages
(18:41) – Growing the mob through cellular division while keeping culture
(24:49) – What to do when there are no internal XP mentors
(28:12) – Using AI like another member of the mob
(32:26) – Will AI replace pair and mob programming?
References
Human & AI Collaboration in Mob Programming with Aaron Griffith and Parker Barrett
Where to connect further:
Connect with Chris Lucian on LinkedIn
Connect with Austin Chadwick on LinkedIn
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah is joined by Benji Weber, Cofounder & CTO at Geordie AI, to discuss leadership and autonomy in engineering teams. Benji shares his unique perspective on how managers can empower teams to take control of their work. They explore how the paradox of giving control plays out in practice and what it means for team ownership and performance.
Highlights:
- How managers can create environments that foster ownership
- The challenges of balancing control with autonomy in fast-growing teams
- How Benji empowers teams through curiosity and gentle nudging
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Introduction to Benji Weber
(01:23) – Benji’s take on professional pride and leadership
(03:54) – Mindgard’s small team setup and remote-first approach
(04:55) – Balancing in-person work with a remote-first culture
(06:12) – The paradox of giving control to teams
(07:07) – Coercion vs. nudging in leadership practices
(08:39) – What it looks like to empower teams through curiosity
(10:56) – Creating an environment for teams to own their work
(14:17) – Tackling organizational reliability challenges with team autonomy
(16:22) – Fostering agency in teams through self-discovery and retrospectives
(18:15) – Why pair programming can be a powerful tool in small teams
(23:46) – Approaching continuous integration and the value of real CI
(26:43) – The trade-offs between consistency and flexibility in team practices
(29:38) – Finding the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous work.
Where to connect further:
Connect with Benji Weber on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjiweber/) and on his website (https://benjiweber.co.uk/)
Follow Tuple: https://x.com/tuple
Want to hear more? Check out http://distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/
How do you drive change in large engineering teams?
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with Ed Gibbs, Software Engineering Tech Lead at Cisco Meraki, about his journey from physics to software engineering and how he’s championed better development practices over the years. Ed shares insights on navigating remote work, driving incremental adoption of engineering improvements, and fostering collaboration in large-scale teams.
Ed also discusses the role of experimentation in engineering culture, the benefits of meandering syncs over traditional standups, and the challenges of balancing refactoring with delivery in a complex codebase.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Ed Gibbs
(01:03) – The origin story of Fez Friday and making remote work memorable
(07:04) – Inside Ed’s fully remote team setup at Cisco Meraki
(09:26) – The early days of TDD and what made it stick
(12:04) – Introducing CI and getting buy-in for testing
(17:16) – How to drive consensus across a 1000-engineer company
(23:46) – Team habits Ed is proud of, from Kanban to mobbing Mondays
(30:06) – What meandering syncs are and how they work
References:
Blog post on meandering syncs: Stand-Up Meetings Are Dead (and What to Do Instead)
Where to connect further:
Connect with Ed Gibbs on LinkedIn and his website
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
On this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with James Simone, Principal Engineer at Salesforce, about how he went from no development experience to principal engineer in 7 years at a Fortune 500 and the effects of collaborative programming.
James shares what things are like inside the agile org at Salesforce and how they approach remote work, including how they prioritize reflection and team agreements to foster productive and happy work environments.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with James Simone
(01:09) – The empowerment of distributed teams: fostering community and learning
(03:08) – Inside Salesforce's agile organization: a structural overview
(04:17) – Legacy projects and measuring developer happiness
(06:07) – Applying metrics: individual and executive perspectives
(08:52) – Collaborative programming: a measured approach
(11:03) – Starting the week: Monday morning routines
(12:56) – Code review: transitioning from author to reviewer
(14:26) – The role of working agreements in team dynamics
(17:05) – Reflection and improvement: the impact of test-driven development
(22:36) – Documentation and decision-making in collaborative teams
(27:48) – Balancing career growth with personal life passions
References
Test Driven Development: By Example by Kent Beck
Domain Modeling Made Function by Scott Wlaschin
Where to connect further:
Connect with James Simone on LinkedIn and on his website
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Obie Fernandez, Principal Engineer at Shopify, 6x founder (including Andela and Hashrocket), and prolific author and musician. Obie reflects on his early role in the Ruby and Rails communities, what led him to shift away from Java, and how he uses and thinks about AI.
Obie goes deep on how he and his team at Shopify uses AI, while touching on what this means for pair programming, mentorship, and the future of software development.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Opening the conversation with Obie Fernandez
(01:59) – What made Ruby stand out after years of Java
(07:45) – Driving Rails’ adoption at ThoughtWorks and shaking up the status quo
(15:54) – How Shopify thinks about the developer experience
(20:19) – Why every developer should experience pair programming
(25:03) – How Obie uses AI
(27:15) – The future of software development and collaboration
(33:13) – When to stop vibe coding and prioritize quality
(34:04) – Big P vs little p pair programming
References:
Patterns of Application Development Using AI
Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke's now infamous AI memo
Where to connect further:
Connect with Obie Fernandez on Instagram and obiefernandez.com
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah chats with Thomas Paul Mann, cofounder and CEO of Raycast, the native productivity tool and extendable launcher. They cover how Raycast leverages community, ships such high quality product consistently, and approaches hiring. Jack actually spoke with Thomas the day after Raycast released their iOS app, so the episode starts with a pretty raw reflection on this major milestone before diving into the rest.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Opening the conversation with Thomas Paul Mann
(01:18) – Launching iOS with zero pre-hype
(07:19) – Why iOS came before Windows
(09:53) – Going remote during COVID
(14:27) – Building an effective remote team
(16:09) – Why 80% of Raycast is product
(17:45) – Hiring in waves to avoid overgrowth
(19:54) – The power of referral-based hiring
(21:50) – How feedback beats metrics at Raycast
(27:24) – Inside their biweekly shipping rhythm
(32:55) – Using nightly builds to polish UX
Where to connect further:
Connect with Thomas Paul Mann on X
Follow Raycast on X or join the Slack community
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
How does the future hold for software development with remote collaboration?
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah chats with Tim Ottinger, aka the Agile Otter, about how to manage and organize the work. Among other things, Tim is a Senior Consultant at Industrial Logic, contributor to the book Clean Code, and active presence online. Jack and Tim explore various ways to work in teams instead of solo and the various benefits they offer.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Introduction to Tim Ottinger, Agile Otter
(01:11) – Tim’s background and contributions to clean code and agile
(01:46) – Early remote work and why covid changed remote training
(04:03) – Benefits of spreading training over weeks vs. intense sessions
(06:18) – What’s wrong with how most software teams manage work today
(10:42) – The problems with solo work, parallelism, and utilization myths
(14:14) – How AI can help coding but still has limitations
(18:07) – Why increasing first time through rate is the key metric
(24:18) – How to structure teams to avoid queues and handoffs with swarm boards
(30:50) – Starting with small experiments to work together and improve flow
(33:12) – Don’t lower the standards of the pipeline, raise the abilities of the team
(40:07) – When it comes to remote work, longitude kills and latitude hurts
(41:38) – Tim’s advice for making the most out of remote work
(44:05) – The law of the 2nd floor
(44:51) – Things can be better, don’t lose hope
References
Swarm Programming with the Swarm Board
Clean Code by Robert C. Martin
Where to connect further:
Connect with Tim Ottinger on LinkedIn and on his website
Connect with Industrial Logic
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah speaks with Emily Bache, a technical coach and the creator of Samman Coaching, about her work helping teams improve their development practices.
Emily shares her experiences with test-driven development and refactoring, and explains how these practices can transform both code quality and team dynamics.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Emily Bache
(01:25) – First experience with extreme programming in 2000
(02:28) – Struggling to get a new team on board with XP
(04:03) – Why TDD transformed Emily’s coding approach
(05:22) – Becoming a full-time technical coach and YouTuber
(06:48) – Defining what a technical coach actually does
(07:21) – Inside a high-performing architecture team’s microservices shift
(09:04) – Can siloed experts still outperform collaborative teams?
(14:42) – Simple tactics to nudge your team toward better practices
(20:57) – Ensemble programming explained: many minds, one keyboard
(24:45) – Why refactoring skills matter in the age of AI assistants
References
Approval Tests and the weekly Approval Tests Ensemble
ChatGPT & Copilot are NOT Refactoring Tools
Where to connect further:
Connect with Emily Bache on LinkedIn and Samman Technical Coaching Society
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, Jack Hannah sits down with Matt Wynne, staff software engineer at Mechanical Orchard and a longtime advocate for Agile and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). Matt shares his journey from working with legacy systems to co-founding Cucumber Ltd., offering a firsthand look at how testing, pairing, and social programming create more effective teams.
Matt also discusses the challenges of modernizing outdated infrastructure, the role of ensemble programming in fostering collective code ownership, and why strong relationships are essential for high-functioning distributed teams.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) - Kicking things off with Matt Wynne
(00:13) - From COBOL to modernization: Lessons in legacy systems
(05:05) - The origins of Cucumber and BDD
(07:44) - Pairing, ensembling, and the power of social programming
(11:38) - Extracting knowledge from aging codebases
(14:07) - Building tools for faster legacy system migrations
(21:01) - Creating psychological safety in engineering teams
(29:19) - Selling change: How to introduce new development practices
(33:02) - Remote work and the importance of human connection
References
Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers
Agile Coaching by Rachel Davies and Liz Sedley
Where to connect further:
Connect with Matt Wynne on LinkedIn and his Website
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
In this latest episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah interviews Colin Sidoti, Clerk Cofounder & CEO, to discuss what’s allowed them to grow so rapidly and deliver such an incredible developer experience for users. Colin reflects on how limited process fosters growth and allows his team of engineers and designers to excel.
Colin also provides insight into the nontraditional ways Clerk streamlines work, including their hiring practices and unique team dynamics.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Colin Sidoti
(03:26) – Product development at Clerk
(08:29) – Remote work dynamics: synchronizing across time zones
(12:54) – Importance of fluid communication: using Tuple for efficient syncs
(14:44) – The role of DX Guide: maintaining high standards in product experience
(22:28) – Building a culture of customer-centric development
(17:40) – Evolving product offerings: from auth to billing and beyond
(25:56) – Hiring for passion: finding team members who care deeply
(31:55) – Simplifying user onboarding: eliminating friction for developers
(33:34) – Impact of removing friction: boosting adoption with minimal steps
Where to connect further:
Connect with Colin Sidoti on X and Clerk
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
Engineering teams whose work leaves an impact thrive on trust, collaboration, and the appropriate technical practices.
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Ryan Bergman, Principal Engineer at John Deere, to explore the impact of Extreme Programming (XP) and agile practices on software development. Ryan shares how XP principles helped stabilize a struggling startup, why pair programming is essential for team cohesion, and how behavior-driven development (BDD) builds confidence in large-scale systems.
They also discuss the challenges of remote collaboration, lessons from scaling software at John Deere, and what it takes to align distributed teams around a shared technical vision.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking Things Off with Ryan Bergman
(01:10) – Ryan’s Journey: From Graphic Arts to Engineering
(03:59) – Discovering XP: How Extreme Programming Saved a Startup
(08:09) – Pair Programming and Agile Coaching: Rebuilding from the Ground Up
(14:14) – Navigating Large-Scale Systems at John Deere
(16:22) – The Power of Trust: Autonomy, Collaboration, and ‘Vampire Rules’
(21:37) – Building Strong Engineering Teams Through Open Knowledge Sharing
(26:49) – Pair Programming Pitfalls: Fixing What Doesn’t Work
(37:11) – Behavior-Driven Development: Creating Confidence in Complex Systems
Where to connect further:
Connect with Ryan Bergman on LinkedIn and check out John Deere
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
Anthony Eden started DNSimple as a remote first, mostly asynchronous company in 2010 before it was cool.
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Anthony, Founder and CEO, to discuss the intricacies of remote-first companies. Anthony shares his journey of building DNSimple as a remote-first company, highlighting how asynchronous communication and flexible structures foster a thriving tech culture. The discussion touches on what shapes a successful organization and the challenges he’s faced over the years.
Anthony also shares his experience with Shape Up and how it’s improved his team’s productivity and trust in each other.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) - Kicking things off with Anthony Eden
(00:55) - Founding DNSimple: Anthony’s journey to remote work
(02:47) - Embracing remote work: the time zone challenge
(04:02) - Company growth and team structure at DNSimple
(06:56) - The shift to Shape Up: solving development challenges
(10:42) - Facilitating trust and commitments in remote teams
(16:06) - Asynchronous collaboration tools
(21:45) - Aligning remote work practices: learning from experiments
(31:20) - The human side of remote work: building emotional connections
(35:43) - Conclusion: looking ahead with a growth mindset in remote work
References mentioned:
DNSimple’s time tracking experiment
Where to connect further:
Connect with Anthony Eden on LinkedIn
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
Trust, collaboration, and adaptability define the best engineering teams.
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Pavel Hubich, Software Engineer at Spotify, to explore the realities of remote and hybrid work. Pavel shares his journey navigating career shifts, relocations, and the challenges of distributed collaboration. He opens up about why he prefers working in person, how hybrid work can create communication bubbles, and what teams can do to foster trust despite physical distance.
They also discuss the impact of structured rituals like daily standups and the Swedish tradition of Fika, how mob programming transformed his team’s efficiency, and why balancing autonomy with connection is critical for engineers working remotely.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking things off with Pavel Hubich
(01:24) – From EPAM to Spotify: Pavel’s software journey
(05:18) – Relocating to San Francisco for on-site work
(08:01) – Why Pavel prefers the office over remote
(13:56) – Rituals and loading screens: creating mental transitions
(16:03) – The real challenge of remote work: earning trust
(18:24) – Standups and Fika: building connection remotely
(21:45) – When high output doesn’t equal team cohesion
(26:29) – How mob programming brought the team back together
(29:53) – Using architecture golf to share context and collaborate
(34:29) – Making hybrid work without creating bubbles
(36:25) – Building trust without burning out
Where to connect further:
Connect with Pavel Hubich on LinkedIn
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Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
How do you foster connection and collaboration in a remote-first world?
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Nick Cash, Senior Vice President & Head of Technology at Jam City, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities of leading a hybrid team across the globe. Nick shares insights into Jam City’s hub-and-spoke organizational structure, the importance of reducing friction in communication, and the value of synchronous collaboration. He also discusses strategies for empowering engineers, fostering connections across teams, and building a culture of trust and innovation in a remote-first environment.
Highlights:
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) – Kicking Things Off With Nick Cash
(04:44) – Optimizing Product Lifecycle and Team Agility
(08:35) – Integrating Processes with Flexibility
(12:34) – Fostering Occasional Team Interactions
(14:40) – Balancing Mentorship and Independence
(19:06) – Effective Team Communication Boosts Productivity
(22:44) – Fostering Success at Jam City
(25:44) – Leveraging Curiosity for Networking Success
(27:17) – Jam City's Global Talent Strategy
(32:23) – Exploring Meetings vs. Problem-Solving Calls
(34:37) – Comparing In-Person and Virtual Collaboration Perceptions
Where to connect further:
Connect with Nick Cash on LinkedIn
More about Jam City
Follow Tuple
Want to hear more? Check out distributed.fm
Connect with Jack Hannah
