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Robert Pankowecki with DEVELOPER ORIENTED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Do you work on projects managed in a way that is easiest for managers or customers? Focused around their priorities without taking developers needs into account? Can we strive to achieve work and project environment that would be friendly for programmers so that they enjoy working in our company and don't think about leaving it?
The first part of this talk is intended to demonstrate techniques for managing IT projects in a developer friendly way. So that developers can avoid feeling of burden and disconnection from the rest of the team. So that they can improve their skills and grow up in new areas, without stagnating in doing the same repetitious tasks and working on fenced areas of code. And so that they can be always sure that they are working on the most important task right now and avoid confusion.
It will be based on guidelines that we established at Arkency throughout years of working remotely. You can apply them to your project slowly and every one of them will help you improve some of the previously mentioned aspects. Together they make tremendous difference and let people enjoy a lot of benefits that a programming job can offer. They create a programmer friendly environment in which they can feel comfortable and productive. After all, IT teams mostly consists of programmers, so the project should be optimized for their efficiency and happiness. But it also creates a nice set of rules that makes the communication between customers, product owners and developers easier.
But that's not all. Agile provides great opportunity for people to step forward and become leaders. But do you and your company know how to let people enter the path of leadership? How to empower the developers so they can introduce changes that make them more effective? The second part of the talk will show how developers can play the role of project managers. Your company might not become second Valve or Github but you can certainly benefit from applying changes leading towards more flat organization structure. By delegating at least some of the classic project manager actives such as meeting with clients, prioritizing tasks and extracting stories to programmers, they are given a chance to understand the business side of the project more deeply and to collaborate directly with the customer. With the technical and business knowledge, programmers can become true leaders for the projects, capable of independently handling issues and delivering the results, without the need for much supervision.

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**Developer Oriented Project Management**  
In this video, Robert Pankowecki discusses strategies for managing IT projects in a way that prioritizes the needs of developers, fostering an environment where they can thrive and feel engaged in their work. He emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive structure that not only meets client needs but also aligns with the professional growth and happiness of programmers.

**Key Points:**  
- **Developer-Friendly Management:** Pankowecki highlights the contrast between traditional project management methods, which may focus excessively on client demands, and more developer-oriented approaches that encourage programmer satisfaction and productivity.
- **Techniques for Improvement:**  
  - **Small Stories:** Breaking tasks down into smaller stories (ideally 1–2 days in duration) enhances clarity and allows developers to mark tasks as complete frequently, improving morale.
  - **Unassigned Tasks:** Allowing developers to choose their tasks promotes a dynamic workflow and ensures that critical client needs are prioritized effectively.
  - **Prioritized Backlogs:** Developers are encouraged to pick priority tasks directly from the backlog, fostering a sense of ownership while still allowing for collaboration on more complex issues.
- **Integration of Roles:** By adopting Agile methodologies, developers can step into leadership roles, taking on responsibilities such as client meetings and task prioritization. This empowers them to manage projects more independently and gain valuable business insights.
  
**Significant Examples and Anecdotes:**  
Pankowecki shares a specific instance from his experience at Arkency, where they adapted their project management style after working within a client’s less effective framework. This revealed the value of their own practices, prompting a deliberate shift towards more developer-friendly processes.

**Conclusions and Takeaways:**  
Pankowecki concludes that effective project management in the tech space should create a culture of collective ownership, where developers feel free to innovate and shift between tasks. This approach not only contributes to individual growth but also enhances overall project outcomes. By focusing on small deliverable tasks and clear communication within teams, companies can cultivate a more agile and responsive work environment, benefitting both developers and clients alike.

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