Agile to the Max!

Agile to the Max

We knew we had to push the limits of the possible to produce a sophisticated web service and application in time to signup merchants before their Xmas season. Normal programming approaches wouldn't do.

Luckily we found Pivotal Labs and their Startup Incubation service. It allows us to hit the ground running using their well developed Agile engineering process and Pivotal Labs programmers to create the pilot service and application while at the same time we are hiring our own team.

Programmers who join now, will pair with Pivotal Labs developers. Eventually we will swap out the Pivotal Programmers with all our team members. But the Pivotal Agile engineering process will be second nature to all by that point.

So The Pivotal Agile Process means to us:

• A focus on speed, quality, feedback and iteration based on Extreme Programming
• Behavior/Test Driven Development with tools like RSpec, Test::Unit, JUnit, JsUnit and Selenium. And of course, the tests get written first!
• Pair programming. Two heads are better than one, so a pair on every problem. A pair works better, smarter, and faster than a loner.
• Continuous Integration. Automated tools run exhaustive, multifaceted suite of tests every time a piece of code in a project is changed. This catches defects as early as possible, and ensures that high quality is maintained over the life of the project. 
• The Best Tools for the Job
• The core of the services and application is being implemented primarily in Ruby using frameworks and tools such as Ruby on Rails.
• But different elements may require different tools, so Java has been used to implement the payment backend and it may turn out best to use Lisp or other languages for some of the semantic processing.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in different environments as required and ideas of using different tools will be welcome.

The characteristics and attributes we look for in developers:

• Experienced and/or comfortable with Agile Development
• Worked on large projects with small teams 
• Done at least one Ruby on Rails project (of course the more the better) 
• Has done some contribution in an Open Source Community 
• Is competent and creative across several domains 
• Not afraid to be hands on and "do what it takes" 
• Degrees are not as important as accomplishments 
• Plays well with others Wants to help create outstanding products and a fabulous place to work 
• Location

As noted, the first few people hired in the next couple of months will work with the Pivotal Labs folks in their San Francisco Office.

After we produce the first release and we have hired the core team, we will be based on the Silicon Valley Peninsula (somewhere in the Palo Alto, Mt. View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino range).

The final location is TBD, based on the homes of the crew in the next month or so and the Real Estate Market. The current employees are from Los Altos and Saratoga.

Current Opportunities

We have several immediate openings for developers. We are looking for a mix of very senior, senior and not quite senior* positions.
We could list a bunch of requirements, years of experience in particular languages and all the usual job posting type stuff, but really, were looking for people with the right spark of intelligence, personality, practical experience and drive (and can communicate well in English).

If you believe you are in the upper 10th percentile of developers and you have a good mix of the characteristics above, please send your backgrounder.

Environment / Benefits

We'll have all the usual Silicon Valley startup type perks, pay and benefits that are competitive, and of course, the laptop of your choice (though we are all Mac geeks so far).

Diversity is a spice of life and we are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We seek to create an environment where we can all flourish.

Hi, I’m Brian

I work at mirRoR, where we connect agile Rails developers and employers.

We started as Rails programmers ourselves (and are currently working on a few social, facebook, and iPhone apps). This background and network help us identify quality opportunities in the industry.

That’s especially important today. While many venture-backed web 2.0 startups are cutting costs amidst this economic climate, we are working with a number of companies that are self-sufficient, cash-positive, and well capitalized for the long-term.

I’d be eager to briefly discuss where you are in the process and see if there is a potential fit, either for the opportunities listed here, or those posted elsewhere.

Let’s chat!

Brian Mariani
brian@mirrorplacement.com
888.313.2007 x702 AIM:  brianm1724 gTalk: Chat with Brian Mariani