The NAPA Way: Sauna Driven Development
NAPA developers at a sauna lounge with a view over the Baltic Sea
At NAPA we value excellence, learning, and the human component in software development.
One way we facilitate this is an event we have once a month called Developer Sauna. It is open to all Naparians, although the subject matter is mostly quite technical.
The concept is simple: before the event, we pick a software development video to watch together. Some examples include conference presentations from Rich Hickey and Robert “Uncle Bob” Martin. We gather in NAPA’s sauna facilities after the working day, order some food, and while waiting for the food, watch the video and then discuss it – is there something that someone did not quite understand? What ideas felt good and actionable? How does this relate to what we actually do day to day? And have a few beers while doing so, ofc. 😊
I believe in the “do food” – practice introduced by Kent Beck in his eXtreme programming – methodology way back at the turn of the millennia. Enjoying good food (offered by NAPA of course) together creates a comfortable atmosphere and fosters connection.
Being in Finland, we end the night by having a sauna together. That is a very special form of bonding I can’t explain to you if you haven’t done it. If you have, you know what I’m talking about.
This time, we watched How to Design a Good API and Why It Matters by Joshua Bloch.
How do you make keeping developer skills up-to-date fun at your workplace?
This article was first published by Antti Karanta on LinkedIn on 13 February 2024.
