Pair Programming and Mob Programming

Pair programming and mob programming help us deal with a phenomenon that people term Unicorn Developers. It has various names across different regions and companies, such as the Hero Developer or the Rockstar Developer. But we all can identify who they are when we see them.

For those who don't know; the Unicorn Developer is the one who has all the knowledge and keeps it to themselves. They're the person who writes the most magnificent code, and the code that is usually the least understood. They have all the keys and secrets in their head, including all the ideas and knowledge. They are often the one producing so much new work that they don't have time to document it, meaning no one else can continue on the work in their absence. At this point, you can probably identify if your team has a Unicorn; it may even be you!

Figure 6.2: The Unicorn

So why do we have a problem with the Unicorn?

The Unicorn...