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The video equipment rental cost was paid for by Peep Code.
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Today, I'm going to give a soft talk. I'm not going to give a hard talk; rather, I will discuss the care and feeding of Ruby developers.
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As we go along, please feel free to jump up with questions. This isn't the kind of talk where we need to wrap up all the questions at the end. It's going to be pretty informal.
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I've thrown together some notes and ideas from my experience. One of the great things about giving a soft talk like this, as opposed to a hard talk, is that you can't really prove me wrong.
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I may not remember the second thing I wanted to say, but let’s dive into the premise of the talk: it's useful to know more about ourselves and our community as developers. I'll explain why it’s useful at the end as a bit of a cliffhanger.
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Let me tell you what’s going to happen in this talk. I'll cover a few key areas, including some important qualities. I'll talk about aesthetics first, even though it's listed last.
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We will discuss collaboration, planning, stars, and care and feeding. These qualities characterize our community and developers based on my experience.
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It’s hard to prove me wrong because I will share my experiences and acknowledge yours as we move forward.
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First off, I want to stress that what I’m sharing here is not necessarily the status quo for working in our community. It may exist in some places, but more than that, it's a particular style of working.
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What are some of the qualities that are important to developers and to the community as a whole? One of the most prominent notions I reflected on was aesthetics.
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Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to be part of various communities. I started as a Unix kernel hacker back when it was purely Unix, versions six and seven. The people in that community had a narrow sense of aesthetics.
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I will illustrate that with some photos later, if you can stick around. I also had a stint in desktop Windows software, which I’m glad to have forgotten, and then web 1.0, and now whatever comes next.
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What attracted me to this Ruby community right away was the pervasive sense of aesthetics I noticed across it. It wasn't limited to visual aesthetics but extended to software design, as people expressed strong opinions and feelings about how software should be crafted.
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Certainly, you can observe that in other communities, but it was a key component of the conversations I had with different developers.
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The visual design aesthetics were surprisingly high, especially since I had previously spent time with individuals who took pride in their coding but weren't particularly invested in their appearance.
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So, discovering that visual design aesthetics were essential to the work being done was a delightful revelation for me.
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In some of our design work for a product called TuneUp, I believe we set a great example of visual aesthetics. It looks appealing while also being functional, so it's not merely eye candy.
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It's interesting to see how the work of 37 Signals has influenced visual elements across many different web platforms, independent of Ruby or Rails.
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These individuals are known for their technical abilities and their aesthetics, which makes sense given their backgrounds. The aesthetics of the work environment also emerge as a significant factor.
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Everyone likes to work in a nice place; nobody wants to claim they work in a broom closet, even though I currently find myself in one.
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But it’s clear to me that developers in our community care a lot about their work environments because aesthetics rank highly among their priorities.
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I've found that developers will locate good places to work if their offices aren’t satisfying enough, and coffee shops across the country are benefitting from this trend.
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This photo slide illustrates the importance of aesthetics in the workplace. It might seem silly, but there’s a strong correlation between individuals caring about their appearance and their dedication to their work.
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In contrast to other communities I've been part of, the degree of focus on aesthetics and appearance in the Ruby community is much more pronounced.
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The developers I work with reflect that ethos; they embody a sense of aesthetics that isn't limited to design and architecture.
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This is different from prior generations, like those represented by Richard Stallman, who seemed to prioritize different values.
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Collaboration is embedded in this community from the very beginning. I’ve noticed that the people I work with, such as Adam Keys and Bruce Williams, naturally collaborate.
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They're engaged not just within their immediate teams but also with others outside the building, irrespective of the project at hand.
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One significant value of collaboration is that it creates a tight feedback loop. If you're building something relevant and it’s well executed, it gets adopted.
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Conversely, if it stinks, you'll hear about it quickly, leading to relevant decisions being made swiftly.
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In this community, I've found that independent of physical locations, collaboration thrives. Teams do not shy away from using tools like instant messaging and video calls to work together.
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It’s not unusual for team members to collaborate with others from various cities and even countries.
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The concept of collaboration transcends organizational boundaries; in my experience, people consistently engage with others irrespective of their departmental or organizational fit.
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There's a fundamental tendency to solve technical problems with the right individuals without getting bogged down by complexities.
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This approach ensures that issues are resolved effectively without unnecessary bureaucratic barriers.
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Continuing with our illustration, Horton is a character from the Dr. Seuss story who represents the idea that if you're not being visible, you can be forgotten.
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In this community, if you don’t demonstrate that you exist—through blog posts, code contributions, or public engagements—people start to forget about you.
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Consequently, your relevance diminishes, leading to a lack of collaboration opportunities.
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So, my advice is to ensure that those in your developer community are continuously visible and engaged.
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Let’s transition to another topic: planning. I struggled to find the right label for this topic because it centers more around execution than management.
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The significant point is that the execution of projects I’ve worked on is closely integrated with planning.
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This stands in contrast to many other projects where decision-makers are distanced from those executing the work.
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Many of the technologies and frameworks we have enable implementers to make plans because they can handle the necessary mental load.
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This collaboration benefits from a strong foundation built on open-source culture, which encourages shared ownership of ideas and output.
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A side effect of this is that it leads to more recognition for developers; you often see talented people featured on covers of prominent magazines.
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When we look at industry innovations, people involved in creating those ideas and products are often at the forefront.
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However, I've encountered many projects where this kind of recognition is scarce.
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Moving on, I believe being on the cutting edge of technology is crucial for our community. Living on the edge means embracing change and being open to innovation.
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This ensures that we benefit from rapid feedback loops that lead to quick improvements. Our collaborative environment fosters the sharing of ideas and developments.
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Because our feedback loop is closed, if you do good work, it’s recognized. If your work isn't up to par, you'll learn that quickly as well.
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This means we exist in a rapid feedback culture where changes ripple through the community effectively.
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This tight feedback mechanism enables us to adopt the newest changes in coding practices, libraries, and frameworks like Rails.
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Moreover, it connects us with developers whose work we trust, forming a solid network built on shared experiences.
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In a scenario where we had to navigate a long pipeline to access updates, the pace of innovation would significantly slow, hampering our ability to deliver.
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The trade-offs that arise from this experience shape our community’s evolution. Moving to the aspect of enlightened capitalists, this community diverges from others I've engaged with.
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In open-source communities, the rewards mainly pertain to personal reputation and the convenience of new functionalities. However, in our Ruby community, there's a movement toward monetizing passion and action.
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The emphasis is on delivering valuable services rather than solely selling source code. We witness organizations like 37 Signals thriving in this service-oriented model.
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Many people have a passion for this work, and they also aspire to make a living doing what they love without seeing those two goals as mutually exclusive.
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Now, I’d like to explore some specific suggestions about the care and feeding of developers. I'm often idealistic, believing that awareness of our community's qualities can positively impact our collective decisions.
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Having a foundational understanding of these characteristics allows for more humane decision-making processes within our environments.
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One significant aspect involves understanding how these qualities relate to other communities that you might be involved with, whether they're technical or represent other interests.
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In your working environment, reflect on how well you support or hinder collaboration across various mediums and tools.
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It’s essential to foster connections with individuals outside of your immediate team for serendipitous moments of collaboration that can benefit everyone.
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While conferences, like the one we're at now, are fantastic, they require significant commitment and resources.
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Also, in larger corporations with more conventional development paradigms, the idea of crossing organizational boundaries can provoke anxiety.
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Thus, keep in mind the differences between open-source culture and proprietary culture, which I believe will continue to evolve.
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When discussing collaboration in wider environments, I want to highlight the importance of connecting developers with other teams, like marketing and sales.
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These interactions can be critical even when they speak different languages, and recognizing this will go a long way in ensuring effective collaboration.
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I pointed out earlier the idea of looking alive in your community. This aspect is vital, as maintaining a robust online presence can influence how engaged others perceive you.
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Review your locus of control regarding your projects. It’s essential that the decision-makers are aligned with the teams doing the work.
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People should have the chance to make decisions about how to accomplish their tasks. If that’s missing, you may end up with individuals waiting around for direction.
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When you're evaluating potential team members, consider their compatibility with the community's values and the higher emphasis on autonomy.
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Plan for people with both technical skills and a true appreciation for aesthetics, as this community is especially rich in individuals with diverse artistic backgrounds.
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It's vital to discover whether new team members resonate with the existing culture surrounding aesthetics in their work.
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Also, remember that developers will seek satisfying work environments, so ensure that your office settings reflect that.
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Our recent office move led to a better workspace that aligns with our team's desires to operate in a location where they can access coffee shops and a vibrant atmosphere.
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Previously, we were in an uptown office, but moving downtown has fostered a more productive and inspired atmosphere.
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This change dramatically improved our team's overall morale and led to greater satisfaction in our daily work.
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Avoid falling into the trap of using irrelevant clip art and ensure that your workspace communicates a vibrant, aesthetic environment.
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Thank you for your patience, and I hope my talk has been valuable. I'm open to any questions you might have.
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(Audience interaction with questions follows.)
