Code Retreat Workshop
Overview
The Code Retreat workshop is an intensive, day-long event designed to enhance your software development skills through focused practice and collaboration. Developers step away from their daily routines to engage deeply with the core principles of software design, including modularity, object-oriented programming, and functional approaches. The format emphasizes repeated practice in short, focused sessions where participants work in pairs, rotate frequently, and apply different constraints to solve the same problem multiple times throughout the day.
During the workshop, participants gain hands-on experience with the essential principles of eXtreme Programming, including communication, respect, simplicity, courage, and feedback. Participants will also dive into core practices like unit testing, pair programming, and simple design – all in a safe environment that encourages experimentation and learning without the pressure of delivering a final product.
The Code Retreat workshop is perfect for developers looking to sharpen their coding skills in a collaborative, fun, and challenging environment. Whether you're using it as a team-building event or an opportunity for personal growth, this workshop is designed to push your boundaries and improve your ability to write clean, maintainable code.
Content - How it's run
The Code Retreat is structured around multiple iterations of a single problem. Each iteration is time-boxed to 45 minutes, after which the code is discarded, and participants reflect on what they learned. Pairs are rotated regularly and new constraints are introduced in each session to challenge conventional thinking and encourage creative problem-solving. This cycle of coding, reflection and rotation continues throughout the day, creating a dynamic and intensive learning environment.
Participants, Prerequisites & Format
The training is targeted to anyone creating products and services to customers.
We’ll use a workshop format that varies between presenting theory and hands-on activities. As applying theory is the best way to learn, participants will play a very active role in the training.
Learning Objectives
Improved coding practices: participants refine their coding techniques, focusing on writing clean, maintainable, and testable code.
Pair programming skills: by working closely with different partners, participants enhance their ability to communicate, collaborate, and adapt to different coding styles and problem-solving approaches.
Deep understanding of design principles: through repeated problem-solving, developers gain a deeper appreciation for fundamental design principles and how they apply in real-world situations.
Refactoring mastery: participants practice continuous refactoring, learning how to incrementally improve code quality without introducing bugs, which reinforces the habit of maintaining high code standards.
Resilience in problem-solving: by tackling the same problem multiple times under different constraints, participants learn to approach challenges with resilience, creativity, and flexibility.
About the instructor
Agge Kempff-Andersen is a seasoned developer and architect with a strong focus on optimizing socio-technical systems and improving team outcomes and operational capabilities. Drawing on his experience in Continuous Delivery and technical leadership, he is skilled at guiding teams through complex challenges, ensuring team ownership throughout the process. His approach emphasizes collaboration, minimizing dependencies, and aligning technical practices with business goals to create an effective development process.
For more information
If you have any questions about our course, our wonderful customer relationship manager, Louise Navntoft, is happy to help.
Reach Louise at +45 2712 3887 or louise@goagile.dk
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