[badthingfactory]

"Here’s the crux of it, typing isn’t the bottleneck in software development"

This isn't a good argument for mob programming imo. This argument pretends as if the only reason programmers would ever work individually (or in pairs) is because more keys can be mashed in less time.

In reality, we work individually (or in pairs) so that work can be completed asynchronously. I can fix a UI defect while Jim fixes a performance issue, and Sue adds a new feature being requested by a potential client.

Having worked on a large team, and being an introvert - mob programming would have been a disaster. We had one or two extroverted personalities on the team, and they would have driven the entire effort while the majority sat and watched.

It's really cool that this works for someone. Great teams adapt and find a process that works. However, I would advise leadership at any company doing mob programming to carefully observe the more introverted personalities on the team. They probably won't say anything, but they might be dusting off their resume.

[redrummr]

It's not about sync vs async. It's about performance. People who take up pomodoro-type work tracking are surprised at how hard it is sometimes to get 25 minutes of work done.

I know many people who perform their best when they are training somebody in a system, or are recording training, or doing a webinar. Pair programming evokes the same improvements, and it lasts.

When you're being watched you're more present, and you perform better. I would say that pair programming, assuming no huge personality friction, is more than twice as effective as single programming. There are some companies that only do pair programming, most likely because of this realisation.

[badthingfactory]

You're making arguments for pair programming which is different than mob programming. Pair programming is fine. I did it for two years. Like everything in software, there are tradeoffs, but I had no major complaints.