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Pull Requests: Not Just For Code Anymore

Pull Requests: Not Just For Code Anymore

Many companies have copied the fork-and-pull-request model from open source because it works so well, even for closed-source projects. So why are company processes and policies written in isolation with no collaboration? I'll present New Relic's implementation of an open-source-inspired workflow that drives all of our internal company processes.

What if, instead of 8AM Monday e-mails from on high announcing a new policy change, everyone got a chance to collaborate freely on proposed changes - without meetings? What if all aspects of a company's internal processes and culture, from hiring policies to technical architecture to code reviews to expense reporting, were not only clearly documented, but openly editable? What if every single employee in a company could effect sweeping change in how the company did business, just by a simple pull request?

The open-source community writes software this way, and has proven it can work. At New Relic, we've ditched laborious process meetings and long-running e-mail chains in favor of Github Pages and pull requests. In this talk, I'll explain how we've made this work and show you the tools and “meta-process” we use to pull it off. I'll also share our results and lessons learned, and maybe even inspire you to start a similar revolution at your company.

Tim Krajcar

August 22, 2015
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Transcript

  1. Pull Requests:
    Not Just For Code Anymore
    Tim Krajcar

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  3. April 2015

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  4. –Johnny Appleseed
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/8t7mg4gikhx0d5p/Screenshot%202015-06-09%2019.12.34.png?
    dl=0

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  5. TimKrajcar
    Tim Krajcar's Twitter handle is:
    @TimKrajcar

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  6. TimKrajcar

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  7. TimKrajcar
    story time

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  8. Effective immediately all expense
    reports will need to be printed
    and have physical receipts
    attached when filed. Thank you.
    -- accounting manager

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  9. To respond to the 50 people who
    replied to my earlier message
    asking why, I need the receipts to
    verify the expense totals match.
    -- accounting manager

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  10. No, electronic scans
    are not good enough.
    -- accounting manager

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  11. TimKrajcar

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  12. TimKrajcar
    this is common

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  13. TimKrajcar
    it's surprising
    (the bad kind)

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  14. TimKrajcar
    it seems vindictive

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  15. TimKrajcar
    no ownership
    no transparency

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  16. TimKrajcar
    why does this
    happen?

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  17. –Johnny Appleseed

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  18. –Johnny Appleseed

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  19. TimKrajcar
    Dunbar's number:
    150

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  20. TimKrajcar
    direct followup is hard.
    big rules are easy.

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  21. TimKrajcar
    why does this
    happen?

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  22. TimKrajcar
    because you allow it.

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  23. TimKrajcar
    this is "culture"

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  24. “It’s organizational culture
    that makes productive
    systems, not 10x developers.
    Bad culture ruins good people.”
    Jez Humble, VP@Chef

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  25. TimKrajcar
    explicit culture:
    the things that are written down

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  26. TimKrajcar
    implicit culture:
    the things that just happen

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  27. TimKrajcar
    explicit > implicit

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  28. TimKrajcar
    clear expectations

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  29. TimKrajcar
    faster onboarding

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  30. TimKrajcar
    accountability!

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  31. TimKrajcar
    show your work

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  32. TimKrajcar
    "here's what we do, and why"
    vs
    "it's always been this way"

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  33. TimKrajcar
    building explicit
    culture

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  34. “Reinforce the value of
    'non-productive' activities
    that enhance culture.”
    Liza Daly, CTO, Safari

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  35. TimKrajcar
    artifacts of culture

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  36. TimKrajcar
    "corporate stuff"

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  37. –Johnny Appleseed

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  38. –Johnny Appleseed

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  39. TimKrajcar
    "corporate stuff"
    contribution guidelines

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  40. –Johnny Appleseed

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  41. TimKrajcar
    explicit culture is important.
    how to build it?

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  43. TimKrajcar
    cumbersome
    consumes massive time
    probably the wrong people

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  44. –Johnny Appleseed

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  45. TimKrajcar
    requires "boldness"
    no discussions

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  46. –Johnny Appleseed

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  47. –Johnny Appleseed

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  48. –Johnny Appleseed

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  49. –Johnny Appleseed

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  51. no servers to manage!

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  52. no waiting for deploys!

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  53. no CMS to update!

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  54. TimKrajcar
    in practice at

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  55. –Johnny Appleseed

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  56. –Johnny Appleseed

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  58. TimKrajcar
    processes: since July 1, 2014
    214 pull requests
    48 contributors
    most comments: 40

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  59. TimKrajcar
    architecture: since March 24, 2015
    137 pull requests
    32 contributors
    most comments: 129

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  61. TimKrajcar
    lessons learned

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  62. –Johnny Appleseed

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  65. TimKrajcar
    encourage action.
    pull requests > suggestions

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  66. TimKrajcar
    with merge rights comes
    merge responsibility

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  67. TimKrajcar
    it's not a deomcracy.
    (neither is open source)

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  68. –Johnny Appleseed

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  69. TimKrajcar
    designate an entropy
    fighter

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  70. –Johnny Appleseed

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  71. –Johnny Appleseed

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  72. –Johnny Appleseed

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  73. –Johnny Appleseed

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  74. TimKrajcar
    take 2

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  75. –Johnny Appleseed

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  76. –Johnny Appleseed

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  77. TimKrajcar
    ?

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  78. TimKrajcar
    thanks!

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  79. TimKrajcar
    This document and the information herein (including any information that may be incorporated by reference) is provided for
    informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer, commitment, promise or obligation on behalf of New Relic, Inc.
    (“New Relic”) to sell securities or deliver any product, material, code, functionality, or other feature. Any information provided hereby
    is proprietary to New Relic and may not be replicated or disclosed without New Relic’s express written permission.
    Such information may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Any statement that is not a
    historical fact or refers to expectations, projections, future plans, objectives, estimates, goals, or other characterizations of future
    events is a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements can often be identified as such because the context of the
    statement will include words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects” or words of similar import.
    Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
    hereof, and are subject to change at any time without notice. Existing and prospective investors, customers and other third parties
    transacting business with New Relic are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The achievement
    or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements are based on New Relic’s current assumptions, expectations,
    and beliefs and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that may cause the actual
    results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. Further
    information on factors that could affect such forward-looking statements is included in the filings we make with the SEC from time
    to time. Copies of these documents may be obtained by visiting New Relic’s Investor Relations website at ir.newrelic.com or the
    SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
    New Relic assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. New
    Relic makes no warranties, expressed or implied, in this document or otherwise, with respect to the information provided.

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