Interrupts in software teams: using unplanned work to your advantage

Interrupts in software development can hinder productivity and impede feature delivery. Often, teams tackle this issue by dedicating an entire planning cycle to addressing technical debt. However, incident.io has reframed interrupts as an advantage by setting up their engineering team to cater for unplanned work. They introduced a "Product Responder" role, which rotates among team members weekly. This role involves handling alerts, errors, and requests from other teams and customers while also encouraging knowledge distribution and process iteration. By addressing interrupts proactively, the company can deliver faster tactical changes that benefit customers and improve overall productivity.