How GitHub Works

I have a public repository on GitHub open as an “ask me anything” area. One of the questions that came through was from Chris Ledet:

Can you describe a working day at GitHub? What time do people normally get in? How are features officially decided/approved? I’m sure anyone can’t just write whatever they want.

I love talking about this stuff. Not because I really dig working at GitHub (I do), but because I think we’ve finally figured out what makes us productive and happy. That’s hard to find in some companies.

These posts are ostensibly about GitHub, but that’s just so there’s something concrete to write about. These posts are really about how you can improve your company’s work atmosphere.

I hate multi-part everything on the internet, but not as much as I hate entirely too-long posts. So I split it up into three parts spread out over three days.

Hours are Bullshit

Most companies want you to get to work early and stay late. The metric should be productivity, not hours.

Be Asynchronous

You can get more done by being more direct, less intrusive, and more cooperative with your coworkers.

Creativity is Important

Code is creativity. Fostering an atmosphere where people can be creative will lead to better code.