Distributed.

Charity Majors is a writer, speaker, and the co-founder and CTO of Honeycomb, an observability platform for debugging and optimizing distributed systems.In this episode of Distributed, Jack Hannah talks with Charity about the realities of leading and scaling a distributed company. From why remote work is not best for every situation to the communication tax of distributed management, Charity shares what she has learned about building effective teams, fostering trust, and staying connected in a remote environment. She also reflects on her own leadership journey, from CEO back to CTO, and how greater self-awareness and empathy have shaped her approach to work and life.—Where to find Charity Majors:• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/charity.wtf• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charity-majors/• Website: https://charity.wtf/—Where to find Jack Hannah:  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/⁠⁠⁠• Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://tuple.app/⁠⁠⁠—Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:15) Why remote work isn’t best for everything(03:20) What Charity learned from her viral Bluesky post on RTOs(08:33) Why distributed teams need more and better management(11:33) How to get the most from a remote work experience as an engineer (14:30) Why 10x engineers matter less than 10x teams(18:06) How trust and psychological safety drive high-performing teams(20:58) Signs of a healthy organization for job seekers(24:17) Charity’s transition from CEO to CTO and the challenges of down-leveling(26:31) When stepping back in your career can be the right move(30:44) How self-awareness transformed Charity’s approach to leadership and life(34:42) Rapid-fire round —Referenced:• Honeycomb: https://www.honeycomb.io/• Charity’s post on Bluesky about RTO policies: https://bsky.app/profile/charity.wtf/post/3lq4cgak3vk24• How 37signals handles communication, meetings, and setting work boundaries: https://tuple.app/distributed/How-37signals-handles-communication-meetings-and-setting-work-boundaries-with-Rosa-Gutierrez• In Praise of “Normal” Engineers: https://charity.wtf/2025/06/19/in-praise-of-normal-engineers/• Christine Yen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineyen/• Simon Willison’s blog: https://simonwillison.net/• Dr. Cat Hicks' newsletter, Fight for the Human: https://www.fightforthehuman.com/

37signals embraced remote work long before it became mainstream. Its Shape Up framework helped define how remote product teams ship fast, but not every team inside the company follows the same playbook. In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah sits down with Rosa Gutiérrez, Principal Programmer at 37signals and founding board member of the Ruby on Rails Foundation.Rosa takes us inside SEIP (Security, Infrastructure, and Performance), the team responsible for everything from privacy and legacy app maintenance to large-scale infrastructure moves, such as migrating 37signals off the cloud. She shares how a writing-first culture, asynchronous communication, and a flexible, reactive approach let her team thrive outside of the Shape Up model.—Where to find Rosa Gutiérrez:• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rosa.codes• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosagutierrezescudero/• Website: https://rosa.codes/—Where to find Jack Hannah:  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/⁠⁠• Website: ⁠⁠https://tuple.app/⁠⁠—Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:18) Rosa’s role at 37signals(04:10) How long-form writing is critical to 37signals’ culture(07:34) How Rosa adapted to 37signals’ asynchronous communication and unique work style(10:00) The benefits of asynchronous communication for focus, flexibility, and easy reference(12:08) Why 37signals suits introverts and how they handle in-person meetups(14:25) Why Shape Up doesn’t fit the kind of work Rosa’s team does(17:41) How Rosa’s team prioritizes incoming issues during on-call rotations(21:22) Why Rosa’s flexible work style makes her a perfect fit for SEIP’s reactive team(26:03) The challenge remote workers face in setting boundaries(27:46) A case for getting out of the house to create a better work-life balance—Referenced:• 37signals: https://37signals.com/• Hey: https://www.hey.com/• Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/• Ruby on Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/• Shape Up: https://basecamp.com/shapeup• Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters: https://basecamp-goods.com/products/shapeup

How do you keep a massive, distributed engineering organization with 80,000 employees aligned and actually understanding one another? In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah sits down with Ian Varley, Principal Architect at Salesforce, to talk about how he helps their thousands of engineers across global teams stay informed and connected.Their conversation explores why clear communication is the backbone of great engineering, practical ways to disseminate knowledge across distributed teams, and how to use AI to make it all faster and easier. You’ll come away with tips you can use right away to break silos, build trust, and make information flow more smoothly in your own organization.—Where to find Ian Varley:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianvarley/• Website: https://ianvarley.com/—Where to find Jack Hannah:  • LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hannah/⁠• Website: ⁠https://tuple.app/⁠—Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:11) What “borg up” means and why shared understanding matters(02:20) Practical techniques for using LLMs to communicate more clearly(05:25) Why you can’t just ask an LLM to write for you(06:45) How writing itself sharpens thinking and adds clarity(08:34) The risk of “enshittification” in communication and how to avoid it(09:38) Using LLMs as a true thought partner instead of a shortcut(10:55) Why investing in shared understanding pays off in the long run(16:55) Ian’s unique role at Salesforce as a knowledge sherpa(22:02) How Ian’s role evolved to Principal Architect with a focus on mentoring and educating(25:05) What Ian learned from blending engineering, infrastructure, and coordination on HBase(30:34) How Ian amplifies impact by enabling others to spread knowledge(33:30) How AI can make work easier(35:15) Co-Intelligence and the framing of AI as “alien intelligence”(36:56) Ian’s process for title generating with Claude(39:00) Closing thoughts—Referenced:• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Haohan Wang’s post on X: https://x.com/HaohanWang/status/194741703347975783• How Staff Engineers approach leading remote teams with Cassia Scheffer: https://tuple.app/distributed/how-staff-engineers-approach-leading-remote-teams-with-cassia-scheffer-from-wealthsimple• Creating High-Performing Remote Engineering Teams with Carlos Rosão: https://tuple.app/distributed/creating-high-performing-remote-engineering-teams-with-carlos-rosao-from-newstore• 10 Principles for Architecture at Salesforce: https://engineering.salesforce.com/10-principles-for-architecture-at-salesforce-82105d5399a8/• Brad Arkin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-arkin/• Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI: https://www.amazon.com/Co-Intelligence-Living-Working-Ethan-Mollick/dp/059371671X

Jori Lallo, co-founder of Linear, discusses the philosophy behind building a product-first company. He explains the importance of creating a unique culture rooted in feedback and rigorous hiring practices, even in a remote-first environment. The conversation delves into how taste influences software design and how AI is reshaping collaboration. Lallo also shares insights on navigating team dynamics across Europe and the U.S., highlighting the balance between social interaction and focused work, aiming to create a truly collaborative workflow.

Jeff Langr, a seasoned software coach and XP advocate, discusses the transformative power of mob programming over traditional agile methods. He explores the hidden inefficiencies of standard agile practices and shares how mob programming fosters collaboration and enhances productivity. Jeff outlines essential rules for mobbing, highlighting engagement and role rotation. He also addresses the challenges of returning to office life and emphasizes the failures of leadership in supporting effective remote work dynamics.

In this engaging discussion, Woody Zuill, a programmer and coach renowned for his work in mob programming, emphasizes prioritizing effectiveness over mere productivity in teams. He shares transformative insights from his global coaching experiences, advocating for self-managing teams that collaborate more harmoniously. Woody also explores how AI can enhance, rather than replace, teamwork dynamics. He provides valuable advice for new engineers and stresses creating supportive environments for meaningful outcomes in software development.

In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah talks to Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick, the creators of the Mob Mentality Show and longtime engineering leaders at Hunter Industries. Chris, Director of Global Software Development, and Austin, Distinguished Engineer, reflect on mob programming and how practices spread. They open up about what it takes to protect team culture while growing, discuss lessons from their 300+ videos on mob programming and agile, and how AI is just another member of the mob.Highlights:How mob programming went from one team’s experiment to org-wide practiceWhat Chris and Austin learned from publishing 300+ episodes on agile and XPHow AI fits into social coding and the future of pairing and mobbingIn this episode, we cover:(00:00) – Kicking things off with Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick(01:52) – Rearranging cubicles to make pairing possible(03:09) – The first mob and why it worked(05:01) – Repairing a wonky relationship with the product owner(06:14) – Austin’s first mob and learning a new language on the fly(07:41) – The Mob Mentality Show origin story(09:22) – How Chris and Austin keep their episodes lean and sustainable(12:17) – Diffusion of innovation and spreading practices(15:18) – AI-generated code with domain languages(18:41) – Growing the mob through cellular division while keeping culture(24:49) – What to do when there are no internal XP mentors(28:12) – Using AI like another member of the mob(32:26) – Will AI replace pair and mob programming?ReferencesThe Mob Mentality ShowHuman & AI Collaboration in Mob Programming with Aaron Griffith and Parker BarrettWhere to connect further:Connect with Chris Lucian on LinkedInConnect with Austin Chadwick on LinkedIn Follow TupleWant to hear more? Check out distributed.fmConnect with Jack Hannah

In this engaging dialogue, Benji Weber, Co-founder & CTO at Geordie AI, shares insights on empowering teams through effective leadership. He discusses the delicate balance between giving control and maintaining accountability. Benji explores the value of fostering environments that prioritize curiosity and ownership, while navigating the challenges of remote and in-person work dynamics. The paradox of autonomy versus control in fast-paced settings is unpacked, highlighting how gentle nudging can enhance team collaboration and performance.

Ed Gibbs, Software Engineering Tech Lead at Cisco Meraki, shares his unique journey from physics to tech. He discusses the quirky tradition of 'Fez Friday,' promoting team bonding in a remote environment. Ed dives into innovative practices like meandering syncs, emphasizing collaboration over traditional meetings. He reveals strategies for scaling change within a massive engineering team and the importance of balancing refactoring with delivery in complex systems. Insights on navigating legacy code and the significance of experimentation round out this engaging conversation.

James Simone, Principal Engineer at Salesforce, transitioned from a finance career to tech in just seven years. He discusses the power of collaborative programming and how Salesforce utilizes agile practices to enhance team productivity. James emphasizes the role of reflection in improving workplace happiness and the significance of team agreements. He also dives into metrics for measuring developer satisfaction and the importance of code reviews in fostering communication. His journey showcases how teamwork and continuous learning can drive success in tech.