I'm putting together a talk for
STAREast 2010. This is the abstract:
A Test Odyssey: Building a High Performance, Distributed Team
It seemed simple enough—hire the best available technical staff that would work from home to build some great software. Along the way, the team encountered the usual problems: time zone differences, communication headaches, and a surprising regression test monster. Matt Heusser describes how Socialtext built their high-performance development and test team, got the right people on the bus, built a culture of “assume good intent and then just do it,” created the infrastructure to enable remote work, and employed a lightweight yet accountable process. Of course, the story has the impossible deadlines, conflicting expectations, unclear roles, and everything you’d get in many development projects. Matt shares how the team cut through the noise, including building a test framework integrated into the product, to achieve their product and quality aims. Take away a list of technologies that make remote work possible, cultural ideas to make it effective, and some things to try on Monday—plus, some apparently good ideas that you definitely want to avoid!"
So here's my question. Say you see that abstract in a conference brochure, and you decide to attend. Can you think of one question - maybe two - maybe three - that you are expecting to see answered in this talk? These are key questions; the ones that, if you did not see them answered, you would leave the talk feeling ripped off?
I'd like to hear from you. Will you help me make a better talk?
Thanks.