Slides from talk at the Godel Technologies IT Breakfast Meeting in London from September 2014.

1. November 5, 2014
Empowering Engineering
Talent
Kevin Goldsmith
Director of Engineering / Tribe Lead
Spotify AB
Stockholm, Sweden

2. Scaling Agile @
Spotify with Tribes,
Squads, Chapters &
Guilds
Henrik Kniberg / Anders Ivarsson
Published: October 2012
250 engineers
30 squads
6 tribes
3 development offices
2

3. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
3

4. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
4

5. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
5

6. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Minimize decision-making bottlenecks
6

7. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Minimize decision-making bottlenecks
Reduce synchronization bottlenecks
7

8. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Minimize decision-making bottlenecks
Reduce synchronization bottlenecks
Reduce process to a minimum
8

9. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Minimize decision-making bottlenecks
Reduce synchronization bottlenecks
Reduce process to a minimum
Address short-term challenges
9

10. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
10

11. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Increase sense of ownership
11

12. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Increase sense of ownership
Individual stability while fostering dynamic
organization
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13. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Increase sense of ownership
Individual stability while fostering dynamic
organization
Encourage personal and professional growth
13

14. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Scale
14

15. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Scale
Support organizational growth while maintaining
culture
15

16. Scaling Agile @ Spotify with Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds
Why was this model created?
Velocity
Happiness
Scale
Adaptability
16

17. Section name
“Disclaimer: We didn’t invent this model. Spotify is
(like any good agile company) evolving fast. This
article is only a snapshot of our current way of
working - a journey in progress, not a journey
completed. By the time you read this, things have
already changed.”
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18. What is the model?

19. The Spotify Model 19
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams (Squads)

20. The Spotify Model 19
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams (Squads)
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach

21. The Spotify Model 20
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach
Fully empowered to fulfill their mission

22. The Spotify Model 21
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach
Dependencies on other teams are minimized

23. The Spotify Model 22
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach
Collective Responsibility

24. The Spotify Model 23
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach
Individual Accountability

25. The Spotify Model 24
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams
PO
UX
iOS
K&M
QA
Android
Backend
Agile Coach
No Engineering Manager?

26. The Spotify Model 25

27. The Spotify Model 25

28. The Spotify Model 26

29. The Spotify Model 27
Chapter Lead

30. The Spotify Model 28
Chapter Lead

31. The Spotify Model 28
Chapter Lead

32. The Spotify Model 28
Chapter Lead

33. The Spotify Model 29

34. The Spotify Model 30

35. The Spotify Model 31
Product Owner
Chapter Lead
Chapter Lead
Agile Coach

36. The Spotify Model 31
Product Owner
Chapter Lead
Chapter Lead
Agile Coach
POCLAC

37. The Spotify Model 32
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams (Squads)

38. The Spotify Model 32
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams (Squads)
How do we avoid chaos?

39. Achieving alignment

40. 34
Conway’s Law
organizations which design
systems ... are constrained to
produce designs which are
copies of the communication
structures of these
organizations

41. The Spotify Model 35

42. The Spotify Model 35

43. The Spotify Model 35

44. The Spotify Model 36

45. The Spotify Model 37

46. Achieving Alignment 38

47. Achieving Alignment 38
Squads

48. Achieving Alignment 39
Squads

49. Achieving Alignment 39
Squads
Chapter Leads

50. Achieving Alignment 40
Squads
Chapters

51. Achieving Alignment 40
Tribe Lead
Squads
Chapters

52. Achieving Alignment 41
Squads
Chapters
Tribe

53. Achieving Alignment 41
Squads
Chapters
Tribe
Product Owner

54. Achieving Alignment 41
Squads
Chapters
Tribe
Product Owner
User Experience

55. Achieving Alignment 42

56. Achieving Alignment 43

57. Achieving Alignment 43
Product Area Leads

58. Achieving Alignment 44
Design Leads

59. Achieving Alignment 45
Trio Trio Trio

60. Achieving Alignment 46
Guild

61. Achieving Alignment 47
Organization = Velocity

62. Achieving Alignment 48
Organization Enables Velocity

63. Scaling Agile @
Spotify with Tribes,
Squads, Chapters &
Guilds
Henrik Kniberg / Anders Ivarsson
Published: October 2012
250 engineers
30 squads
6 tribes
3 development offices
49

64. Section name
How have we scaled?
October 2012
250 engineers
30 squads
6 tribes
3 development offices
50
October 2014
~600 engineers
70 squads
10 tribes
5 development offices

65. Hiring for Spotify Culture

66. Section name
Hack the funnel
Build and leverage the hiring brand
52

67. Section name
Hack the funnel
Build and leverage the hiring brand
53

68. Section name
Hack the funnel
Build and leverage the hiring brand
54

69. Section name
Validate against both skill and culture
The cultural interview
55

70. Section name
The process doesn’t end at hiring
Bootcamp
56

71. Section name
The process doesn’t end at hiring
Bootcamp
The newbie talk
57

72. Section name
The process doesn’t end at hiring
Bootcamp
The newbie talk
Loops
58

73. Conclusion

74. The Spotify Model 60
Full-Stack Autonomous Teams (Squads)
Fully empowered to fulfill their mission
Dependencies on other teams are minimized
Collective Responsibility
Individual Accountability
No Team Manager

75. Achieving Alignment 61
Trio Trio Trio

76. Achieving Alignment 62
Organization Enables Velocity

77. Achieving Alignment 63
Culture Defines Organization

78. Achieving Alignment 64
Hire Against Culture

79. Section name
Tack!
Twitter: @KevinGoldsmith
e-mail: goldsmith@spotify.com
Spotify: spotify:user:intonarumori
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