This sounds like the most horrifying work environment I can imagine. I have to assume that all XP developers are extroverts, because as an introvert this would be a living nightmare.
- Some sort of sound barrier so that I couldn't parse the background conversations.
- To be able to decide "what is our current plan?" and to write that down. Of course you'd change to a new plan in light of new information.
Individuals doing solo work are often distracted by background noise, and even I do! But in pairs, it doesn't seem to have quite the same effect in my experience.
On the planning part, I know a lot of pairs that set up small daily roadmaps to stay on track. Totally normal, and also totally ephemeral as well. Usually an updated plan is drawn every day since the pair might change.
Yes. Its an unpleasantness I endure if I’m not trying to work through anything which is an intense use of my Working Memory.
The theory is that introverts don't dislike social interaction but unsafe social interaction. It's why you're generally more social with friends and family.
Left the company for a usual startup setup with your own Macbook, pull requests, and things.
I miss the almost zero friction collaboration.
As a pair. Either of us will point out each other mistakes and suggest an improvements to what we're doing in real time without the ping-pong of pull request.
If both of us can't figure things out. We can just scooch over to other pair workstation, sit in the other chair, use the mouse and keyboard to show part of code we have issue with, point to the monitor, and ask questions.