Book Review: Team Geek

The authors have drawn on their extensive experience in the open source community to describe the characteristics of a strong software development team. Their framework of Humility, Respect and Trust is a sound foundation for the long-term success of any type of team.

Their comments about removing barriers to entry were spot on. "A first-time user usually isn't thinking about whether your software is more or less powerful than a competitor's; she just wants to get something done. Quickly." Good software environments need to be all about setting up an appropriate level of abstraction, and helping most users get work done quickly. (Better software environments provide the power user a way to pull back the curtain and play directly with the gears and cogs.)

Team Geek focuses on the importance of the end user experience, which is a mind-set that successful technical people need to develop. Businesses don't pay us to play with really cool technology. They pay us to help other people get their work done.

Their descriptions of team dynamics and organizational culture were also very helpful, especially for people who may not have been part of a well-functioning team previously. The anecdotes were engaging and pointed, and were well-chosen to illustrate the particular point that the authors were making.