17. Developers & Dragons: D&D Lessons for Software Teams

Since the first edition was released in the 1970s, the perception of Dungeons & Dragons has come a long way. The popularity of comics, Star Wars, and the overall normalization of “nerd” culture has brought Dungeons & Dragons into the mainstream. Today, D&D is being used as therapy and ways to improve mental health.Perhaps because of the misfit stereotype, the community that grew up around D&D tended to be more inclusive and encouraged you to be your authentic self– Long before these things were the new corporate buzz words du jour.“Software engineering” probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you think about Dungeons & Dragons. However, Dungeon Masters have a lot to teach us about leading an agile software team. This week, we talk to Kevin Winchester about his experience as a long-time Dungeon Master and the lessons he has applied to leading software teams from startups, to the federal government, to one of the world’s largest industrial conglomerates.Topics:• 03:05 – Jeremy loses his geek cred• 06:07 – How is D&D relevant to team building?• 07:00 – D&D as a tool for therapy• 08:15 – Agile team members as different D&D classes• 09:10 – UX Designer would have a high charisma score• 11:05 – WFH and D&DFH?• 13:00 – D&D was doing D&I before it was cool• 15:15 – D&D teaches you to serve your team• 19:20 – D&D for teambuilding• 20:15 – We need to onboard new team members as D&D players do• 22:50 – We’re all part of the same D&D campaigning party• 33:10 – Retro Time stickers now ship internationally!Helpful Links:• Dungeons & Dragons – Official Website• Dungeons and Dragons as Therapy? How This Popular Game Helps Mental Health• Find Kevin on LinkedIn—– Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton. If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear. • Check out our website • Follow us on twitter • Find us on Facebook • Subscribe on Google Podcasts • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts • Subscribe on Spotify • Subscribe on Stitcher...