Setting Up a Teaming Session
The initial setup matters more than people expect. The wrong room layout, the wrong tools, or unclear roles will undermine a session before the work even starts.
Goal
To set up an environment where one person types, one person directs, and the rest of the team can see, contribute, and learn, without bottlenecks created by the workspace itself.
The Three Roles in the Setup
| Role | Position | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | At the laptop, hands on the keyboard. | Translates the navigator's instructions into designs or code. Not allowed to think. Only types what the navigator says. |
| Navigator | Standing or sitting where they can see the screen and the whiteboard. | Tells the driver how to solve the problem. Thinks ahead about the next step. May use the whiteboard to sketch the approach before describing it. |
| Facilitator | Anywhere in the room. | Ensures the rules are followed. Can jump in if things are going badly. Manages the pace and energy of the session. |
The rest of the team observes. They contribute ideas and offer hints when the navigator is stuck, but the navigator drives the direction.
Equipment
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Single laptop with a keyboard | One driver, one keyboard. This is non-negotiable. Multiple keyboards undermine the rotation discipline. |
| Large external screen | Everyone in the room needs to see what is being typed without having to crowd the laptop. |
| Whiteboard or shared digital canvas | The navigator uses this to sketch intent before describing it. Helps when the navigator is working through unfamiliar territory. |
| Rotation timer | A visible timer that signals when to rotate roles. 4–5 minutes is the typical interval. |
Remote Setup
When the team is distributed, the same principles apply but the tooling shifts:
- A single shared screen via screen-sharing, with only the current driver sharing.
- A virtual whiteboard (Miro, FigJam, or similar) for the navigator to sketch.
- A rotation timer that everyone can see. Many teams use a tool like mob.sh or a shared timer in the meeting tool.
- Video on for everyone in the mob, so observers can be acknowledged when they offer hints.
Anti-patterns
- Multiple keyboards on the same workstation. Defeats the point of the driver/navigator separation.
- Screen too small to be seen. If observers can't read the screen they disengage. Use a big enough display.
- No timer. Without a visible timer, rotations slip and the session stalls on whoever is most comfortable driving.
Next Step
Once set up, follow the rules in Running a Session.