“Manage your time how you work best. For the author that means twenty and five minutes time block with a five minute break. For me that means three hours and thirty minutes with an eighteen minute break. It takes time to find your individual wavelength and focus block. Once you find the optimal focus block and break time in minutes stick with it. For me it meant focusing on what I need to do and have to do and then focusing on what I want to do with my time. It works out well.” ( )

I learned more by Googling this technique than by reading it. It was dry and dated. ( )

Bonne introduction à cette technique de gestion du temps. Facile et rapide à lire. Cependant, je crois que la lecture du livre Pomodoro Technique Illustrated va m'apporter plus. ( )

Хорошее руководство, описывающее простую технику «Pomodoro». Рекомендую прочесть каждому, кто старается улучшить личную эффективность.

Для тех, кто знаком с технологией по коротким статьям в интернете — НАСТОЯТЕЛЬНО рекомендую прочеть это руководство, т.к. техника отнюдь не ограничивается «ставим будильник на 25 минут и не отвлекаемся» — это лишь один из принципов!

( )

The writer has a process optimization background, and the Demming PDCA circle is evident in the model for productivity improvement he describes.
The book contains a recipe for productivity tracking and improving, based on the simple kitchen timer and three registration sheets. The conceptual framework is based on different perceptions of time, and the goal of the Pomodoro Technique is to convert time from something that happens to us, to something that we make happen ( changing what the author calls 'the becoming mode' to a sequential mode. Very reminiscent of [Dave Allen]s [[get things done]], where the idea is to break down any task no matter how big into it's components, thereby converting even the most complex projects to a sequence of simple 'widget making' activities.
The Pomodoro Technique is based on eleven simple rules, and five stages; Planning, Tracking, Recording, Processing, Visualizing. All through the book simplicity and improvements are central themes - no need to use complicated tools when paper, pencil and eraser work as well, are easier to adopt, and takes less time.
The Pomodoro recordings are a sort of time logging for your work hours, making it easy to gain insight in your own behavior and improving on it - both [Laura Vanderkam] and [Gretchen Rubin] has a take on this that are more holistic.

The Pomodoro Technique seems like a very operational and actionable way to improve your personal productivity (I haven't tried it yet), but the book suffers from a number of weaknesses.
The book is very short, yet it keeps repeating itself, and stating the obvious. At the same time the author keeps mentioning that the technique can be used to improve the productivity of individuals, as well as pairs or teams - yet never explain how it can be used for pairs or teams. The idea of a simple method for improving estimation and productivity of pairs and teams is intriguing, and I was disappointed that this aspect was hinted at, but never explored in the book. This would have been much more useful than repeating the same rules and observations.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to the first three stages of the Pomodoro Technique, and observations regarding these. I especially missed a discussion of the Visualizing stage - which along with the Processing stage was only addressed as part of the Recording stage. ( )