© 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 dont 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 – Dont 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? Its anything you say…. … or anything you do. So long as your partner accepts it Accepting is easy. Its all about the magic word. YES

© ThoughtWorks, 2006 Bad Medicine That seems easy enough but sometimes its hard to relinquish control People try to take control by: – Negating offers – Rejecting action – Saying NO This is BLOCKING. Its 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