Mathias Bolt Lesniak
Anyone willing to contribute can join a sprint, and they are probably one of the most underrated learning opportunities in the TYPO3 world. They are more personal than conferences and they are much less theoretical because you work on real-world tasks. Additionally, most TYPO3 sprint organizers cover travel and lodging, as well as some food.
Work, Work, Work, and Fun, Fun, Fun
No question about it: Sprints can be intense, with long days of working on tasks, solving problems, and discussing solutions. It is often possible to join a sprint online too—but you will miss out on a lot of the social interaction.
If you stay at the same hotel, you might share breakfast. Some might go for a morning run (and that’s the closest you’ll get to sports). The sprint participants eat lunch and dinner together. There’s ample time to get to know each other, tell tall stories, and have a good time too.
Types of Sprints
At the time of writing, there are four common sprint types.
Team Sprints
This type of sprint is organized by a single team, such as the Marketing Team or Core Team. Team sprints are often focused around a specific topic, such as working on a specific feature, fixing bugs, or working out strategic plans.
Combined or Open Sprints
Sprints where multiple teams attend a sprint together, in the same location. The teams may have a common agenda, but they don’t have to. Open sprints are combined sprints where any team can choose to attend.
Community Sprints
Community sprints are organized by the TYPO3 Company and take place in their offices in Düsseldorf, Germany. All teams may attend, and while travel costs are paid by each team’s budget, the costs of food and lodging are covered by the TYPO3 company.
Outreach Sprints
Outreach sprints are organized as community outreach activities. They are similar to team or combined sprints, but their location is decided by a wish to involve a distant part of the TYPO3 community. The only outreach sprint organized thus far was organized by the typo3.org Team and the Nitsan agency. It took place in Bhavnagar, India, in April 2019.
Mark Your Calendar
Sprints are announced on the TYPO3 Events page. Find a sprint happening near you and don’t just think about it — do it. Make lifelong friendships, finally put a face to the name of that person you’ve been chatting with on Slack, and make a real contribution to the TYPO3 project.
There are two upcoming community sprints in Düsseldorf, Germany. They take place in July and November 2023. For other sprints …
Postscript: “But What About the Camps and the Dev Days?”
Ah, thank you for asking. TYPO3 Camps, the Developer Days, and T3CON, are conferences that might in fact sometimes include sprints. But they’re more than a sprint, so although they might contain a sprint, they are so much more — and well worth a visit too!
