"Why would I pay twice as much for two developers to do one thing? Get back to your desks!"

Pair programming is a preposterous idea. Until you see it work, and then it's not. In fact, pairing and mobbing are transformative techniques for building great software, and for building teams that build great software. And yes, Virginia, for going faster.

But we only get to cash in on that when we do it right.

So let's talk plural programming—I've been at it for years, and I'm in the mood to share. We'll turn over some pairing myths with data. We'll talk about how you don't need your boss's permission to do it. And we'll cover the pairing anti-patterns that can ruin it for everyone.