Rewriting the Rules of Mob Programming: One Tiny Step at a Time with Kevin Vicencio and Alex Bird

Rewriting the Rules of Mob Programming: One Tiny Step at a Time with Kevin Vicencio and Alex Bird

From The Mob Mentality Show by The Mob Mentality Show

November 18, 2025 · 44 min · Episode 322

About this episode

This episode explores innovative approaches to mob programming and team collaboration with Kevin Vicencio and Alex Bird.

What happens when you combine daily mini-retrospectives, Test-Driven Development in absurdly small steps, and Chess Clock Mobbing? You get a radically different iteration on collaboration, continuous improvement, and extreme programming—and that’s exactly what we explore in this episode of the Mob Mentality Show with guests Kevin Vicencio and Alex Bird.Kevin and Alex are on a team who didn’t just mob the canonical way—they experimented with variations and discovered something that seems faster, tighter, and even more collaborative in many ways. From refining how teams use retrospectives to guide daily improvements, to pioneering a new high-intensity form of teaming called “Chess Clock Mobbing,” their approach is relentless in its pursuit of learning and team flow.In this conversation, we dig into:- How daily retros and real-time feedback can evolve your team culture fast- Why working in smaller TDD steps can paradoxically lead to faster results- The mechanics and mindset behind Chess Clock Mobbing - “Evil TDD Ping Pong” as a way to level up test design and shared understanding- Building a culture of trust, safety, and continuous experimentation- Techniques for maintaining…

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Host: The Mob Mentality Show

Guests: Kevin Vicencio, Alex Bird

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