Finding Your Flow

Getting stuff done in an overstimulated world

Joe Stanco

Photo: Tom Baker

bit.ly/1BSe1Ry

What is flow?

Flow, also known as Zone, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.

Source: Wikipedia

The cost of multitasking

On average, it can take up to 20 minutes

to regain focus after an interruption.

Source: The Cost of Continuously Checking Email

Daily distractions

• Test fails

• Hotfixes

• Environment issues

• Code reviews

• Urgent requests

A programmer is likely to get just
one uninterrupted 2-hour session in a day

Source: Programmer Interrupted

• Interviews

• Onboarding

• Meetings

Daily distractions

• Test fails

• Hotfixes

• Environment issues

• Code reviews

• Urgent requests

A programmer is likely to get just
one uninterrupted 2-hour session in a day

Source: Programmer Interrupted

• Interviews

• Onboarding

• Meetings

Releasing Code

Youtube

Can't stop, won't stop

How do developers

achieve a flow state?

• Wear headphones




• Work at night




• Take breaks
   

• Minimize notifications

Your mileage my vary...

• Wear headphones
                     ...maybe skip the vocals  

• Work at night
                     ...or wake up early

• Take breaks
                     ...timing is everything

• Minimize notifications
                     ...not always an option!

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Conditions of the

flow experience

1. There are clear goals every step of the way.
    

2. There is immediate feedback to one's action.
    

3. There is a balance between challenges and skills.

Source: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, It's the Play that Makes Serious Play Serious

How does it feel to be in flow?

• Completely involved in what you are doing - focused, concentrated.

• Great inner clarity - knowing what needs to be done, and how well you are doing.

• Knowing that the activity is doable - that our skills are adequate to the task.

• Intrinsic motivation - whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

• A sense of ecstasy - of being outside everyday reality.

• A sense of serenity - no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.

• Timelessness - thoroughly focused on the present, hours seem to pass by in minutes.

Source: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow, the secret to happiness

BuzzFlow

Pod People at BuzzFeed

Teams at BuzzFeed

Desktop

Mobile

Megaphone

Mission Control

Giraffe

1. Clear Goals

• Code standards
   
• Style guide / components
   
• Tech blog
   
• Teams should be highly aligned and autonomous

W.A.F.F.L.E.

Web Application Framework For Living Easy

Unifying Vision

I think with the technology base underneath everything we do, we're able to get knowledge back and have a closer relationship with our audience and serve the consumer better. 

Jonah Peretti

Source: The Verge

2. Immediate 

    Feedback

• Start with a prototype
   
• Set achievable milestones
   
• Deploy incremental improvements

Tech Talks

Photo by Andy Yaco-Mink

3. Challenge + Skill

• Bootcamp to learn core skills
   
• Experimentation is key
   
• Refactor and optimize

Game Jam!

Emoji Oracle