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Welcome to the RailsConf 2022 keynote session.
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I have the privilege of introducing Crystal Tia Martin. Crystal is a software developer and principal consultant at Slalom. She is also one of the co-organizers of Strange Loop, a tech conference focused on cutting-edge technology. As an advocate for diversity in tech and business, Crystal, a graduate of Detroit Public Schools, is passionate about ensuring equal access to education at all levels.
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She earned a Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Science from Michigan State University and started teaching middle school math in St. Louis, Missouri, as a 2010 Teach for America Corps member. After four years in the classroom, she sought a career that would combine her love for creativity, science, and community, and found that tech was the right fit. Crystal is a lifelong learner and serial hobbyist who is currently learning photography, knitting, and all things tech, while fighting the patriarchy one keystroke at a time. You can find her on Twitter at @codermeow, where she shares her talks, including a super cool TED Talk, all available on YouTube. Plus, she can really crush it at karaoke!
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Well good morning! Thank you all for coming. I know the first session of the day feels like, ‘Whoo.' I’m Crystal Martin, as I said, and I wanted to start with a theme that comes to mind: Mercury and Gatorade.
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Now, if you're into astrology, you might know that Mercury is the ruler of technology and communication. And here we are, at a tech conference! So if I say something weird, please feel free to come talk to me afterward. I always appreciate clarification.
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I want to start by telling you a story, as keynoting this conference is a full-circle moment for me. This month marks the six-year anniversary of realizing that technology was a viable career path for me. I’d like to introduce a very important person in my journey—Brad Urani. I won’t ask you to stand, just give a little wave! Unknowingly, this guy launched my tech career.
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So first, I need to confess: I am a JavaScript developer, but I’m also a Ruby fan. I say that because this community is where I first explored whether technology was for me. It is also where I met Brad. Before becoming a technologist, I was a public school teacher.
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In my fourth year of teaching middle school math—a job that was incredibly rewarding but challenging in many ways—I realized that it was time to hang up my hat. It wasn’t because of the kids. Anyone who has dealt with middle schoolers knows they can be entertaining! It was the bureaucracy of the school system that will always be the hardest job I’ve ever had. Because of that, I don’t get stressed about tech problems; nothing is truly on fire. But I thought, ‘What’s next?’
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I had heard about boot camps around 2014, but at that time, it seemed like they were only catering to ex-investment bankers and lawyers who could afford the tuition. With my teacher’s salary and student loan debt, I thought, ‘This isn’t for me.’ So, I decided to create a profile on Meetup.com. Coding meetups were all the rage at that point, and I typed in ‘coding.’ I had absolutely no idea what programming was.
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I was scrolling through events when I came across the St. Louis Java User Group and thought, ‘That sounds boring.’ Then I found C# .NET Meetup and thought, ‘Not wanting to go there either.’ Finally, I stumbled upon the STL Ruby Meetup with its cute little 8-bit logo and thought, ‘Oh, I want to go to this! That logo is adorable, and as a Cancer, I like rubies—it’s my gemstone! It feels like a sign from above.’ So, the night of the meetup arrived. I walked in, and everyone turned to look at me.
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I could tell they were wondering if I was lost. It was in a weird part of town; I just walked in with my backpack and said, ‘Hey, guys!’ I was the only person of color in the room and also the only woman there that night. A gentleman named King, who was the organizer at the time, came running up and said, ‘Hey! So happy you’re here! Get some pizza, grab a beer, and sit down.’ They were doing a mob session and I felt completely out of my depth.
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One of the folks there sat me down and said, ‘We’re going to pair on a problem together.’ He showed me how to use the Ruby REPL, and that’s when I realized that Ruby was a programming language. Up until that point, I thought Ruby was just what the cool nerds called their meetup! The community was so welcoming it made me want to keep coming back.
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After that night, I attended a second meetup where I met Brad Urani again. At that time, he was mentoring an entry-level programmer at his company through an organization called LaunchCode, which trains people in technology and places them in local apprenticeships. During our conversation, I expressed my interest in tech, and he mentioned this 'Coder Girl' initiative started by his friend. That program ended up being Coder Girl, where I learned how to code.
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I eventually became one of the founding members of that non-profit organization, as well as a part of the team at LaunchCode. It’s now called Women+ at LaunchCode, and I’m glad to say that I owe all of this to Brad. He is the reason I am standing here as a software developer at RailsConf.
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I have some funny connections with Rails and Ruby; I almost wore red shoes for this talk! I thought that would be corny, but I have some amusing stories about strange connections in this community. Please ask me afterward if you want the deets!
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When I was invited to do the keynote for RailsConf, I went through a range of emotions—everything from ‘Oh my God, why me?’ to ‘Call someone else; I’m not qualified!’ I felt existential dread, especially since I hadn't been on stage since 2019. But ultimately, I said yes.
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Initially, I intended to speak about lateral thinking, a topic I thought was exciting. I was involved in a challenging project that mimicked a classic ‘Phoenix Project scenario’—changing priorities, onboarding new developers every two weeks, navigating a difficult client—you name it. But I thought perhaps this was an opportunity to experiment with different creative problem-solving approaches.
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I came across an article about lateral thinking that suggested we can use it to tackle tough problems in challenging situations by avoiding the traditional linear path. It seemed especially relevant, given the environment we all navigate. So I rallied my team around the idea of brainstorming different ways to apply lateral thinking, aiming to break free from our usual rut.
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I was feeling very excited about the project and thought it would be a successful experience. Everything I intended to implement would be something that I could share with all of you at RailsConf. I wanted everyone to hear how we experimented with these tactics, and how it revived our spirits, even if the clients might not have liked it. However, despite my enthusiasm, the project ultimately blew up in my face!
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I won't go into details about that part, but I was still determined to present on this topic. So, I did what neurotic public speakers often do: I researched counterarguments to lateral thinking before taking the stage—and boy, did I regret it! I found some pretty harsh critiques.
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For instance, one said that De Bono’s theory is ‘textbook pseudoscience, unsound, untested, and derivative of real research.’ It hit home for me because I found myself stuck: how could I present about a theory without any actual practice to back it up? I was practically crying over how to structure my talk!
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Then, I spoke with my good friend Liz, explaining my frustrations. She asked me a powerful question: ‘Why did you want to talk about lateral thinking in the first place?’ It made me realize what I was actually passionate about was collaboration! That collaborative spirit of lateral thinking was what was missing from my project.
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So that's what I want to talk to you about today: the importance of collaboration. The reason I entered technology is for the people I get to work with! I realized I love that component of software development more than the pure technical side of things. Admittedly, I struggled to admit this because I thought it made me seem less serious.
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Engineering is only exciting when collaborating towards a common goal and creating working products for others. For example, I built a warranty claims app for tractor tires—something I had no interest in—yet I loved that project precisely because I engaged regularly with clients and users who found real value in what we were creating together.
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Today, I want to focus on what I believe is the most significant element of our jobs: the human component—the people. Honestly, this past year has been tough, and I know many of you are feeling burnt out, just like my team and I are. Developers often get too attached to our outcomes and forget that the systems we build are for people and that our value goes far beyond what we produce.
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In the consulting world, we often refer to people as resources, but excuse me—I'm a human being, not a resource! We've been conditioned to think our output defines us, but I want to challenge that notion. Many of you probably experienced rapid career growth over the past year, yet did it leave you feeling less confident?
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I felt this sense of imposter syndrome creeping in after my promotion. I got into this tunnel vision, but what helped me regain clarity was the people around me, those who genuinely cared about me as a person, beyond my technical delivery. For many of us, the past two years turned our jobs into mere jobs—isolating, tiring, and lonely.
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However, the only reason I survived that time was due to the people I surrounded myself with. I want to discuss how we can put people first, and I’m going to break this conversation down into two parts: first, focusing on the personal element, and then the element of others.
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Building teams and technology that works for people requires knowledge and acceptance of yourself. Oftentimes in leadership, we learn how to manage and grow teams without discussing where we personally stand. The first step is introspection: knowing where you are allows you to intuit the needs of those around you, and you cannot do the latter without the former.
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This mirrors the ‘oxygen mask’ concept—you must put your own mask on before assisting others. If you are careening through your own struggles while trying to help others, it’s unproductive. Remember that you, as the individual, are the first person you need to care for adequately.
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So how do we cultivate greater self-awareness? I want to share some concepts and techniques that can help. Regarding leadership, I want you to understand that I'm not addressing only designated leaders; anyone who works with others is a leader, whether you’re formally assigned that role or not.
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One concept I love is the above-the-line/below-the-line framework from the book ‘15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.’ This framework allows you to define your mindset in any situation. At any point, you can be either above or below the line. Below the line is typically characterized by defensiveness and a commitment to being right, often driven by fear.
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On the other hand, being above the line means you are engaging openly and curiously, willing to learn and share accountability. When you find yourself acting from a fearful place, your ego feels threatened. It's critical to recognize when you're in that mode since you’re likely not thinking clearly. Think back to the emotions and physical sensations you might experience in tense meetings.
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One helpful model to understand this is the drama triangle, which lays out actor roles in conflict situations, as developed in the 1960s by psychologist Stephen Cartman. This model presents three roles: the persecutor, the rescuer, and the victim. Self-reflection is essential; you may find yourself oscillating from one role to another during a conversation.
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For instance, are you ever in the persecutor role, blaming others for a situation? Or do you identify as a rescuer, stepping in to save others at the cost of your own well-being? I'm usually the victim, facing circumstances I perceive as unfair. Understanding your role helps ground you in reality.
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Now, let's shift the perspective from the drama triangle to the empowerment dynamic, as described in David Emerald's book. In summary, instead of the roles of the drama triangle, we can choose more constructive roles: the challenger, the coach, and the creator. The challenger encourages others, helping them realize their potential, while the coach facilitates growth and development.
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Additionally, the creator focuses on problem-solving and the possibility of positive outcomes. I want to share some personal examples of these roles from my life. I want to highlight the mentor who has played a pivotal role in my growth—Dory Davis, an incredible technology leader.
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Dory exemplifies the creator role by pushing me to think creatively and move forward, guiding me away from the victim mentality. She always encourages me to come up with action plans—even giving me a time limit to dwell on my issues before moving on and brainstorming ideas together.
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Next, let's talk about the challenger role: my colleague, Cheryl, exemplifies this by telling the truth and pushing me out of my comfort zone without making it personal. She challenges me to validate my assumptions and to follow through on my ideas, encouraging me to navigate whatever obstacles I face.
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Finally, I want to highlight my coach, Nick, who supports me as I work through my challenges. He's the director of our practice at Slalom and constantly pushes me to embrace opportunity while also holding me accountable for my aspirations.
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So, as you reflect on your work relationships, think about how you might shift the dynamics within your teams. Consider how you can draw from these empowerment roles in your interactions and focus on creating a collaborative atmosphere.
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Moving forward, I challenge you to think about how you can become someone who embodies these roles for others. Choose three names of individuals in your life whom you can support by encouraging them to take on those roles. On the flip side, think about those influences you have encountered in your career that have demonstrated these qualities.
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As we close, I want to leave you with a powerful idea. When you’re feeling constrained or stuck, focus on gratitude instead of frustration. This talk was influenced by many people in my life who offered guidance and support during the toughest moments of my career. My ability to be here today is a testament to all of these connections.
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Take a moment to appreciate and thank those who have played empowering roles in your life. Whether that is mentorship, collaboration, or guidance—acknowledge how they impacted your journey. Remember, we are all here because someone created a way for us to succeed. Thank you!