The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is an XP time management tool and we’ll see how to work with it as freelancers and in a team. The technique is not only related to programming, but was invented by a programmer: it’s based on timeboxing on periods of 25 minutes called Pomodoros (tomatoes) from the shape of the original kitchen timer used for measuring them.
The main goals of the technique are:
- managing interruptions, often a tough task for a programmer to do while his boss and colleagues have the need to communicate with him continuously.
- Defining goals for the day and for short period of times, which would otherwise go wasted in checking email.
- Maintaining focus throughout the whole work day: it’s not easy to stay really productive for 6-8 hours.
- Estimating tasks and actually getting better at estimation over time: Pomodoros become the unit of measurement.
The format is divided into three parts, which follow the introduction to the rules of the technique:
- the reasons behind the rules and their meaning: when it’s ok to cheat and when it’s absolutely not.
- a few frequently asked questions about the technique and the points that seem strange to the layman.
- some tricks on how to check you’re on the right track, or about the difference between working solo or in a team with Pomodoros.
The purpose of the talk is to raise awareness about time management and to introduce the technique as one of the tools you can use in this field. The technique adapts well to Agile environments and also revives XP and Scrum concepts on a smaller scale.