MATTHEW SKELTON has been building, deploying, and operating commercial software systems since 1998. Head of Consulting at Conflux, he specializes in Continuous Delivery, operability and organization design for software in manufacturing, ecommerce, and online services, including cloud, IoT, and embedded software.

MANUEL PAISis an organizational IT consultant and trainer focused on team interactions, delivery practices, and accelerating flow. Recognized by TechBeacon in 2019 as one of the top 100 people to follow in DevOps, he is also coauthor of the book Team Topologies. He helps organizations rethink their approach to software delivery, operations, and support via strategic assessments, practical workshops, and coaching.

Figures & Tables
Case Studies & Industry Examples
Foreword by Ruth Malan
Preface

PART I TEAMS AS THE MEANS OF DELIVERY
Chapter 1: The Problem with Org Charts
Communication Structures of an Organization

Team Topologies: A New Way of Thinking about Teams

The Revival of Conway's Law

Cognitive Load and Bottlenecks

Summary: Rethink Team Structures, Purpose, and Interactions
Chapter 2: Conway's Law and Why It Matters
Understanding and Using Conway's Law

The Reverse Conway Maneuver

Software Architectures that Encourage Team-Scoped Flow

Organization Design Requires Technical Expertise

Restrict Unnecessary Communication

Beware: Naive Uses of Conway's Law

Summary: Conway's Law Is Critical for Efficient Team Design in Tech
Chapter 3: Team-First Thinking
Use Small, Long-Lived Teams as the Standard

Good Boundaries Minimize Cognitive Load

Design “Team APIs” and Facilitate Team Interactions

Warning: Engineering Practices Are Foundational

Summary: Limit Teams' Cognitive Load and Facilitate Team Interactions to Go Faster

PART II TEAM TOPOLOGIES THAT WORK FOR FLOW
Chapter 4: Static Team Topologies
Team Anti-Patterns

Design for Flow of Change

DevOps and the DevOps Topologies

Successful Team Patterns

Considerations When Choosing a Topology

Use DevOps Topologies to Evolve the Organization

Summary: Adopt and Evolve Team Topologies that Match Your Current Context
Chapter 5: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies
Stream-Aligned Teams

Enabling Teams

Complicated-Subsystem Teams

Platform Teams

Avoid Team Silos in the Flow of Change

A Good Platform Is “Just Big Enough”

Convert Common Team Types to the Fundamental Team Topologies

Summary: Use Loosely Coupled, Modular Groups of Four Specific Team Types
Chapter 6: Choose Team-First Boundaries
A Team-First Approach to Software Responsibilities and Boundaries

Hidden Monoliths and Coupling

Software Boundaries or “Fracture Planes”

Real-World Example: Manufacturing

Summary: Choose Software Boundaries to Match Team Cognitive Load

PART III EVOLVING TEAM INTERACTIONS FOR INNOVATION AND RAPID DELIVERY
Chapter 7: Team Interaction Modes
Well-Defined Interactions Are Key to Effective Teams

The Three Essential Team Interaction Modes

Team Behaviors for Each Interaction Mode

Choosing Suitable Team Interaction Modes

Choosing Basic Team Organization

Choose Team Interaction Modes to Reduce Uncertainty and Enhance Flow

Summary: Three Well-Defined Team Interaction Modes
Chapter 8: Evolve Team Structures with Organizational Sensing
How Much Collaboration Is Right for Each Team Interaction?

Accelerate Learning and Adoption of New Practices

Constant Evolution of Team Topologies

Combining Teams Topologies for Greater Effectiveness

Triggers for Evolution of Team Topologies

Self Steer Design and Development

Summary: Evolving Team Topologies
Conclusion: The Next-Generation Digital Operating Model
Four Team Types and Three Interaction Modes

Team-First Thinking: Cognitive Load, Team API, Team-Sized Architecture

Strategic Application of Conway's Law

Evolve Organization Design for Adaptability and Sensing

Team Topologies Alone Are Not Sufficient for IT Effectiveness

Next Steps: How to Get Started with Team Topologies

Glossary
Recommended Reading
References
Notes
Index
Acknowledgments
About the Authors