What exactly does joy have to do with software development? If you ask Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller of Menlo Innovations, the answer is pretty simple: Everything. According to Rich, joy is central to inspiring, sustaining, and steering the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based software company, which has been experimenting with new ways of working for more than two decades.

In this episode of Brave New Work, Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans speak with Rich about the personal struggles that first led him to future-of-work thinking; how some of Menlo’s vital practices—like pairing two developers together daily and having them work on a shared computer—have evolved over the years; and why “Make mistakes faster” is a longtime Menlo mantra.

Learn more about Rich Sheridan and Menlo Innovations:

• On LinkedIn
• Reading his books Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer
• Visiting Menlo Innovation's website

Mentioned references:

• Peter Drucker
• Tom Peters
• Peter Senge
• Kent Beck and "extreme programming"
• Nightline episode on IDEO
• Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" video

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