Debugging Teams

by Ben Sussman and Brian Fitzpatrick

This is the online home for Debugging Teams, a book about the human side of software engineering.

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Software development is a team sport. This book breaks new ground by setting out all the key lessons for you as a software developer to learn how to work with your teammates, and how to be a good teammate. The field has needed a book like this for a long time, and finally it has arrived.
— Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google

I've been working with engineers for over 30 years, and in that time I've learned that engineering is as much about people as it is science and technology, but most engineers put little or no effort into understanding how to work with others. If you want to be more effective and efficient at creating and innovating, then this book is for you.
— Dean Kamen, Founder of DEKA Research

About the authors

Brian Fitzpatrick is Founder and CTO of Tock. Brian started Google's Chicago engineering office with Ben in 2005 and led several of Google's global engineering efforts, including the Data Liberation Front, and Transparency Engineering. He also served as internal advisor for Google's open data efforts, having previously led the Google Code and Google Affiliate Network teams. Prior to joining Google, Brian worked as an engineer at Apple, CollabNet, and a local Chicago development shop. Brian has an A.B. in Classics from Loyola University Chicago with a major in Latin, a minor in Greek, and a concentration in Fine Arts and Ceramics. He resides in Chicago.

Ben Sussman was one of the founding developers of the Subversion version control system. He cofounded Google's engineering office in Chicago, launched Google Code, led two display advertising teams, and now manages teams that power Google's Search product. He's currently the engineering Site Lead for Google Chicago, but also collects hobbies—including authoring interactive fiction, playing bluegrass banjo and jazz piano, composing musicals, operating ham radios, and exploring film photography. Ben is a lifetime native of Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Chicago with a major in Mathematics and minor in Linguistics.