The solution
BBC News reported in November 2016 that Pivotal Software, valued at $2.8bn, requires staff at its 20 offices to be ready at exactly 9.06am, when a cowbell or gong calls a stand-up lasting five to ten minutes. Then programmers start coding with no further meetings or distractions. CEO Rob Mee says programmers left alone might 'roll in at 10am', be hungry by 11 and stop for food, so he provides free breakfast.
He picked 9.06 because 9am would make developers psyching themselves up feel late, and 9.05 'is too precise, as programmers don't like over-optimising', so 9.06 became a bit of fun. At 6pm everyone must leave, because tired programmers don't programme well.
Pivotal trains other companies' software teams in agile development, with visitors pairing with its programmers in boot camps of about three months. Clients include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lockheed Martin and Twitter.
Why it worked
A free breakfast gives people a concrete reason to arrive early.
Starting together lets a short stand-up align the whole team in minutes.
An odd time makes the rule memorable and friendly, not bureaucratic.
A hard 6pm stop prevents tired-late-night work that lowers code quality.
What can be applied
A tiny, slightly absurd ritual can fix a team's rhythm better than a rule, and a fixed finish time protects quality as much as a fixed start.
Aftermath
According to the BBC, Pivotal had 20 offices and a client list including BMW and Twitter, and was backed by Dell Technologies, Microsoft, GE and Ford, which led a $253m investment in May 2016. Analyst John Rymer of Forrester said its immersive training is effective at establishing new skills, practices and cultural norms.
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