Sprint Organization: But can we do more?

The ultimate sprint incentive would be for companies to put up a bounty to fix bugs, or otherwise provide support for an open source project.  This is the toughest thing to sell I think, but if Google can do it, why can’t other organizations?  I have seen this attempted in the past with mixed results.  I think it was a half baked idea, and that we can do better than that.  The challenge is metrics, and making sure that everyone gets their fair share.  I mean, at that point, sprinting becomes payment for work done, the sprinters are just hired guns for a weekend.

Autograph by kugelfish.

I think the challenge has been, and will always be metrics.  How do you measure the work and who did it, and how much is each thing done worth?  I think the sprint organizer is the greatest asset in this situation.  He usually has the best idea about what needs to be done, what has been done, and ultimately who did what quantity/quality of work.  So you can use him as your metric definer.

My idea is this:  A sponsoring company provides the OSS organization with a certain amount of money, and what they would like to see achieved in an organized sprint.  This money is given to the organization as a donation regardless of the outcome of the sprint.  The donation may also be given to the organization with no stipulation of task, but the sprint organizer must choose a topic of interest in order to guide the sprint.

The sprinters all agree to a set method for dissemination of funding provided by the sponsoring organization.  My suggestion would be to split all of the funding equally, but in a capitalist nation, it is hard to justify giving the same funding for a person who did a little work on a piece of documentation vs. someone who spent 40 hours putting together a full tutorial.  Another method would be to allow the sprint organizer to disseminate the funding as he sees fit, but the sprinters would have to agree to this before work is started.  The work would have to be completed by a certain deadline to obtain the funding, because project organizers do not have time to track down who did what 4 months after the fact, it’s just not practical.  Finishing a week after a weekend sprint seems reasonable to me.

I am sure to see lots of comments about these ideas because when money gets involved, everyone gets uppity. (one of the great ideas behind OSS is that there is no money paid for the actual software)

So, there exists possibilities for setting up a sort of Round-up style sprint.  The goal is to provide sprinters incentive for providing bug fixes, or even to document a part of the code that is otherwise hard to get anyone to document.  I would love to open a discussion about this topic, as I see it as a completely different business model when it comes to software development.

google-logo.jpg

But you have to ask yourself, “What’s in it for the company?”  Well, first I think you have to ask yourself why Google has been running programs where they pay for OSS development, no questions asked, for 5 years now.  But here are some insights while you ponder that.  The easiest reason to understand is that the sponsoring company has some bugs in OSS software they use that they need fixed, and a team of experts can fix them in a weekend, or their staff can submit bug fixes, go through the rigamarole of OSS contribution, and things get done in months.

The next less obvious reason for a company to provide funding for a sprint is that they are using OSS software that could use a little help in the documentation department.  By paying for documentation, they are getting a cut-rate deal on the experts that usually created the software providing documentation for those things that may be crucial to their business’s success.  This also reduces their dependency on any one employee who may have in-depth knowledge on a particular software package.  By ensuring the OSS software that the company uses is well documented, the company ensures that the intellectual know-how for that piece of software remains with the project, not with the employee that may leave at some later date.

The last simple reason I can think for a company to sponsor OSS is for recruiting reasons.  Typically the people involved in the sprinting process are the ones that know the most about it.  It is also be a chance to evaluate an employees enthusiasm for work in general.  Those who are sprinters are more likely to work well with others and stay with projects for the long haul, in my experience.

If software development is described as herding cats, gathering and directing sprinters is like herding stray cats.  I once had a stray cat visit me when I was in my potato-tuna days, and I gave it some of my tuna, because it looked in worse shape than was I.  And you know what, that cat always returned for the tuna.  Now, I’m not much of a cat person (current cat count: zero) but I think that if software developers are truly analogous to cats, they might show up at your door once, but it’s much easier to get them to come and visit regularly if you give them some tuna once in a while.

45 Responses to “Sprint Organization: But can we do more?”

  1. Petrina Baculpo says:

    You could certainly see your expertise within the work you write. The sector hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. At all times go after your heart. “Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.” by Heinrich Heine.

  2. 29. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!

  3. I like it – I like that page, GOOD WORK !! Great post ! Thanks !

  4. I have observed that in the world these days, video games are definitely the latest phenomenon with children of all ages. Often times it may be out of the question to drag the kids away from the games. If you want the best of both worlds, there are several educational games for kids. Interesting post.

  5. I am extremely impressed together with your writing abilities and also with the layout to your blog. Is this a paid subject or did you modify it yourself? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it is uncommon to look a great weblog like this one today..

  6. Reid Ollar says:

    Magnificent site. A lot of useful info here. I am sending it to several friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks in your sweat!

  7. Good post. I study something more difficult on different blogs everyday. It should at all times be stimulating to read content from other writers and follow a little bit something from their store. I’d favor to make use of some with the content material on my weblog whether or not you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a link in your web blog. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Abnehmen says:

    I discovered your blog site on google and examine just a few of your early posts. Proceed to maintain up the superb operate. I just extra up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Searching for ahead to studying more from you in a while!…

  9. עיצוב שיער says:

    רשת מעצבי השיער של ארי שומר מבצעת מזה זמן רב החלקה יפנית תוך התחייבות ל-100% הצלחה ותוך עדכון תדיר של החידושים והטכנולוגיות האחרונים בתחום החלקה יפנית ו החלקה ברזילאית . החלקת שיער יפנית / החלקה ברזילאית מתבצעת ע"י ארי שומר ואלכס (מנהל קניון "הבאר") בלבד, ללא הפרעת עובדים או לקוחות אחרים, תוך אבחון זערורי ומיומן של סוג השיער והטיפול המומלץ לו.

  10. Very interesting details you have noted , thanks for posting .

  11. Any WINE primarily based method (WINESkin, CrossOver, etc) WILL Split in case you update to 10.eight.two.

  12. I’m just writing to let you understand what a great experience my friend’s child gained visiting your webblog. She figured out lots of things, which include what it’s like to possess an excellent coaching mindset to have other folks really easily master a number of problematic issues. You undoubtedly surpassed our expectations. Thanks for imparting such important, trusted, explanatory and in addition easy tips about your topic to Gloria.

  13. I have really learned result-oriented things by your web site. One other thing I want to say is that newer pc os’s are likely to allow additional memory to be used, but they likewise demand more storage simply to work. If people’s computer is unable to handle much more memory plus the newest application requires that memory increase, it may be the time to shop for a new Computer system. Thanks

  14. Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely feel this website needs much more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the information!

  15. Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.

  16. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this in my search for something relating to this.

  17. Oh and I’m not a Liverpool or Chelsea supporter, but the way the Liverpool fans were still singing You’ll Under no circumstances Walk alone when their team was losing and the game was almost finished was lovely. Big respect.

  18. Georgia says:

    This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Thank you!

    Also visit my web-site – Georgia

  19. Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a difficult time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.

    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  20. It’s my first pay a visit to this website, and I am in fact amazed to see such a good feature YouTube video posted at this point.

  21. Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download
    it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a
    few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand out.
    Please let me know where you got your theme. Cheers

    My webpage :: simply click the up coming post

  22. Hello everyone, I know YouTube video includes fewer bytes of memory due to that its quality is awful, however this YouTube video has enormous picture quality.

  23. I believe other homepage operators may want to give consideration to this particular web-site as a model. Completely clean and simple to use style, and moreover very good articles! You’re very skilled operating in this particular subject :)

  24. When I saw this website having awesome featured YouTube video clips, I decided to watch out these all video lessons.

  25. Mamie says:

    I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
    The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish. nonetheless,
    you command get got an impatience over that you wish
    be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly
    the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike.

  26. Please let me know if you’re looking for a article author for your site. You have some really great articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an email if interested. Thanks!|Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and everything. But just imagine if you added some great images or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and clips, this site could undeniably be one of the most beneficial in its niche. Amazing blog!|Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. With thanks|Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a hard time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!|Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Ie. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon. Kudos|With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My website has a lot of unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my authorization. Do you know any ways to help prevent content from being ripped off? I’d certainly appreciate it.|Have you ever considered writing an ebook or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based upon on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.|Hi there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and outstanding design and style.|Superb blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like Wordpress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally confused .. Any suggestions? Cheers!|My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on several websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to another platform. I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!|Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it grow over time.|It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!|Greetings from California! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your site on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, awesome blog!|Hey! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog post or vice-versa? My site discusses a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Wonderful blog by the way!

  27. I believe this website has very superb written subject matter posts.

  28. computer repairs

  29. Raphael Toso says:

    Are you positive about that?

  30. Such are truly awesome YouTube video clips, its my fortune to pay a visit this web page and finding such awesome YouTube video lessons.

  31. I am just writing to let you understand of the nice encounter our girl experienced going through yuor web blog. She came to find some details, which included how it is like to possess a marvelous coaching spirit to let other people effortlessly thoroughly grasp certain multifaceted things. You really exceeded people’s expected results. Thank you for rendering such precious, trustworthy, educational and in addition easy tips on this topic to Jane.

  32. I together with my friends were reviewing the great key points found on the blog while unexpectedly I had a horrible feeling I had not expressed respect to you for them. Those young men are already for this reason happy to read them and now have honestly been taking advantage of them. Appreciation for genuinely so kind and also for deciding upon this sort of terrific topics most people are really wanting to learn about. Our own honest apologies for not expressing appreciation to earlier.

  33. Johnna Acero says:

    I’m not sure I fully grasp what you mean.

  34. yeah,this is great and I like it.I will bookmark it and share on my facebook.

  35. Drivers tr says:

    There are some attention-grabbing deadlines on this article however I don’t know if I see all of them heart to heart. There’s some validity but I will take hold opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like extra! Added to FeedBurner as nicely

  36. Hi there, I read your blog regularly. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep up the good work!

  37. Graphics are genuinely pleasant source of teaching instead of wording, its my familiarity, what would you say?

  38. Your way of describing all in this article is genuinely good, every one can easily understand it, Thanks a lot.

  39. I have been searching for this information for a long time. I am content to find it right here.|I have no words to appreciate this post. That helped me a great deal.|I have been an everyday visitor with this blog. I come here for this helpful knowledge.

  40. Thanks for revealing your ideas. I’d personally also like to express that video games have been ever evolving. Technology advances and inventions have aided create realistic and enjoyable games. These kind of entertainment video games were not really sensible when the actual concept was first being experimented with. Just like other designs of technology, video games also have had to advance through many generations. This itself is testimony for the fast growth and development of video games.

  41. wwasp says:

    I needed to thank you for this great read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. I have got you book marked to check out new things you post…

  42. It’s nearly impossible to find well-informed people for this subject, however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

  43. viagra says:

    Thanks for your post. I would like to say that the expense of car insurance will vary from one scheme to another, simply because there are so many different facets which contribute to the overall cost. For instance, the model and make of the auto will have a huge bearing on the fee. A reliable aged family auto will have a more economical premium when compared to a flashy sports car.

  44. Hey Eric. Many thanks for including my PSD templates. :)

Leave a Reply