extreme programing

When I started my first large project in the corporate IT world (a project that had epic scope creep compared to anything else I've worked on), I worked with just one other programmer and a project manager. We actually functioned in a way that was similar to extreme programing, but I think it worked only because it developed naturally. Also as a side note, the situation worked will even when the project manager left and we were on our own.

Possibly a factor in how it worked was that I consciously decided to code in the style of the existing code. I tried to think like the programmer I was working with. With code there's usually multiple right ways to handle something, but often individuals favor one way. I tried to fit in which may have made all of the code easier to comprehend for both of us. I've only read a few articles on Extreme Programing and sometimes they hint at shared style, but I think this is an important part.

Still I ultimately believe that in the corporate landscape this is something you can not just create. You can set up the right kind of environment, but it needs to happen on its own.