Big Corps, Big Worries Some Points on Selling Ruby to Big Corps

by Chakrit Wichian

In this talk titled "Big Corps, Big Worries: Some Points on Selling Ruby to Big Corps," presented at RubyConf TH 2023, Chakrit Wichian emphasizes strategies for promoting Ruby within large corporate environments. Wichian, a seasoned software engineer and CTO, aims to encourage greater adoption of Ruby by addressing common misconceptions and outlining its strengths.

Key Points Discussed:

Perception of Ruby: Wichian challenges the notion that "Ruby is dead," proposing instead that it is a mature and stable programming language. This maturity should be viewed positively, particularly in contrast to languages that are perceived as more volatile.
Addressing Scalability Concerns: The speaker argues that claims about Ruby’s scalability are often unfounded. He cites well-known applications like GitHub and Shopify, illustrating that Ruby powers many large-scale platforms that handle substantial traffic volumes. He encourages developers to question the basis of scalability arguments and point out successful Ruby implementations.
Developer Hiring Myths: Wichian discusses the perception that Ruby developers are scarce and expensive. He contrasts the career paths of developers in startups versus corporations, indicating that while startup developers may earn less initially, they often gain broader skills and experiences, making them more valuable in the long run. He suggests a re-evaluation of developers based on skills rather than salary expectations alone, advocating for the understanding of the genuine value Ruby developers can bring to businesses.

Significant Examples:

Wichian references real-world applications such as Airbnb and Shopify to illustrate Ruby’s capabilities in scaling and supporting high-traffic environments.
He mentions his own company’s efforts to build an insurance website called sw.com, showcasing their use of Ruby on Rails to create a highly efficient platform.

Conclusions and Takeaways:

The overall message is clear: to successfully sell Ruby to large corporations, it is essential to reshape narratives around its perceived limitations, emphasizing stability, scalability, and the valuable skill sets of Ruby developers.
Wichian encourages community engagement and communication about the benefits of Ruby, urging attendees to share the insights gained from his talk with their clients and customers to foster broader Ruby adoption.

In closing, Wichian invites further discussions on Ruby’s advantages and offers insight into how both individual developers and corporations can benefit from Ruby’s unique features. This session aims not only to inform but also to inspire action towards cultivating a more robust Ruby community.

00:00:06.919 Hello, everyone! If you're curious about who I am, you can check out my website displayed here. Before I start, I would like to express my gratitude to the moderators for giving me the opportunity to speak today, especially this year when Matt is visiting. It's truly an honor. My name is Chakrit Wichian, and I am excited to talk with you about various aspects of the engineering team, particularly concerning Ruby.

00:00:21.840 After all, this is a Ruby conference, and not a Python conference! I also want to mention that I will be giving another talk at the P-Pon conference at the end of the year.

00:00:33.920 A bit more about myself: I run a software company called Prod G9 and serve as the CTO at Forward Insight. Additionally, I manage the IT team at Hard Electric, an electrical manufacturing company. I teach coding every Friday, and my team and I also host events called "TH Tech." Rest assured, I still write code, so there’s no need to worry—I am actively working with Ruby. Today, I'm here to share my insights on how we can effectively sell Ruby to large corporations.

00:01:10.320 I hope you can gather useful tips from my slides today that you can then share with your clients and customers, ultimately encouraging more people to write in Ruby. As Matt mentioned, we need a bigger community. Let’s begin with the company model we adhere to: "Better people lead to better software." We even have this motto printed on our hoodies! And naturally, better Ruby leads to better software as well.

00:01:40.920 Today, I'm wearing a shirt that says, "Better Ruby is Better Software." A bit of a shameless plug here—if you'd like one, please come see me afterwards! Now, back to the topic: How do we actually sell Ruby to large corporations? I had this idea for a talk because we are currently building a new insurance website called sw.com. In fact, one of the lead engineers is present here today. We have a specific goal: to help users find insurance plans in just two seconds! We are building this platform using Rails, which I believe speaks volumes about Ruby's capabilities.

00:02:09.519 Yesterday, at the Ruby Night event, Matt G delivered a keynote that touched on similar topics—he even updated his slides for today's audience. During his talk, he addressed the argument that "Ruby is dead." I hope that none of you believe that! Matt provided a clever response, essentially saying, "So what?" However, I would like to offer a more detailed rebuttal to arm you with what you need to respond to those who express this sentiment.

00:02:50.240 Before we dive deeper, I want to ask: Can I get a show of hands? How many of you are aware of the four concepts I’m about to mention? Quite a few of you! However, I sense that about half of you may not be entirely familiar with them. Think about how Latin is used in the sciences—it serves as a stable reference point despite being a 'dead' language. Similarly, when people say Ruby is dead, it’s not necessarily a bad point. Instead, I propose a shift in perception: Rather than agreeing that "Ruby is dead," we can argue that it is stable!

00:03:33.119 When confronted with criticisms about Ruby being dead, instead of succumbing to negativity, embrace discussions about Ruby’s stability. The criticisms often stem from Java enthusiasts who portray Ruby’s mature status as a drawback, while they consider Java's stability a virtue. If someone insists that "Ruby is dead," we can turn that narrative around by saying, "Ruby is a mature language that is suitable for production workloads." This reframing invites broader conversations about what truly makes a programming language valuable.

00:04:17.399 Let’s move on to the second common argument—that Ruby does not scale. I believe many of you have a solid comeback for this assertion. If someone suggests that Ruby doesn't scale, I won’t be confrontational; instead, I will engage them by asking questions. There are plenty of instances of large-scale Ruby installations. If the corporation uses GitHub, for instance, I can point out that they are leveraging the world's largest code repository built with Ruby. Additionally, many online purchases may be through Shopify, which commands 11% of the world’s e-commerce market, built on Ruby on Rails.

00:04:54.440 If they’re still skeptical, I would follow up with, "Have you booked a vacation recently and used Airbnb?" Fundamentally, Ruby is all around us, powering enormous platforms globally. Thus, questioning its scalability in small corporate environments with low traffic seems illogical. As a developer, if I were to confront this 'Ruby doesn't scale' argument, I'd illustrate how Ruby is incorporated into crucial global applications, many of which handle much larger traffic volumes than the average corporate website.

00:05:52.680 I'm moving quickly so you can enjoy lunch sooner! I condensed my presentation to three key points; this last point addresses a more complicated perspective: that Ruby developers are difficult to find and expensive to hire. Is this true? It can depend. However, I want to suggest a different viewpoint.

00:06:18.480 Let's imagine you’re a recent graduate who accepts a corporate job for stability. You start at a decent salary, but over time, your skills may not enhance significantly due to the relatively rigid nature of the work environment. You'll typically see pay increases, but development opportunities remain stagnant. Fast forward three to four years, you may find yourself questioning your career path and feeling left behind, especially if you see peers pursuing dynamic, innovative roles.

00:06:41.760 When these often-overlooked developers apply for new positions, they experience challenges. Their existing salary expectations may surpass their current skill levels, presenting a conflict in discussions with hiring managers. Many hiring managers might hesitate to bring them on due to discrepancies between their skills and salary demands.

00:07:22.480 Now, suppose the inverse occurs. Let’s say the same graduate chooses to work at a startup. They can dive into a diverse range of responsibilities, learn new skills, and experience rapid growth in their capabilities, albeit at a lower salary compared to corporate counterparts. Despite the salary being lower, the skill acquisition often skyrockets!

00:07:46.080 So how do we market this skill disparity to corporations? I propose we create two categories of developers: 'inflated value developers,' who are overvalued due to market trends, and 'inflated skill developers,' who possess noteworthy skills but are typically underpaid. We should encourage corporations to seek the latter, emphasizing that Ruby developers often deliver better value and strong returns on investment compared to their more expensive counterparts.

00:08:11.360 This perspective presents a more favorable picture of Ruby developers, highlighting their considerable skill set and advocating for their value in the workplace. In closing, I have many more points to discuss, but I want to respect your time. If you have further inquiries or wish to dive deeper into any aspect, I invite you to speak with me after this talk.

00:08:36.080 To wrap things up, if you’d like to learn more about what I do or get in touch, please check out my website. And regarding the shirts—if you’re interested, we’ll have a quick Google form available for sign-up. Ironically, one of my team members decided to use JavaScript to build the system for ordering shirts, which has delayed our availability. If we had built it in Ruby, it would have been ready much sooner!

00:09:07.440 Thank you for your attention!

00:09:10.960 Thank you.