Lightning Talk: The Increasing Need for Software Developers

by Thomas Frey

The video titled "Lightning Talk: The Increasing Need for Software Developers," presented by Thomas Frey at the Rocky Mountain Ruby 2013 event, explores the growing demand for software developers in the context of technological advancements and economic shifts. Frey engages the audience with a thought-provoking question about future spending across various sectors—energy, healthcare, housing, and education—suggesting that improvements in technology and efficiency will lead to lower costs in these areas over the next 20 years. This reduction in expenditure is anticipated to increase disposable income and, in turn, foster growth in sectors such as the app economy.

Key Points Discussed:
- Future Economic Trends: Frey predicts that as technology evolves, the average individual will spend less on essential services.
- App Economy Boom: Following the introduction of the software developers kit for the Apple iPhone in 2008, the app economy has exploded, with the number of available apps surpassing two million and the industry reportedly worth $26 billion.
- Rising Demand for Coders: Frey emphasizes that technological innovations—like drones, autonomous vehicles, and automated services—are driving the growing need for skilled software developers.
- Da Vinci Coders Program: Frey highlights his role at the Da Vinci Institute, where they train new Ruby on Rails programmers to meet this demand. He promotes their upcoming graduation and class start dates as opportunities for potential students interested in coding.

Conclusion:
Frey's talk underlines the crucial role software developers will play in shaping the future economy. The key takeaway is the urgent need for education and training in coding to prepare for the significant changes brought about by technological advancements. This is not just a unique moment for those in tech but a broader call to prepare a workforce ready for an increasingly automated world.

00:00:08.960 All right, hi everybody! Let's try to wake everyone up after lunch here. I would like to ask you a question, and I want you to raise your hand if you think that the average person, 20 years from now, is going to be spending less money on energy than they do today. So, just raise your hand if you think the average person will spend less money on energy. Okay, just a few hands. How about less money on healthcare 20 years from now than they do today? Okay, a few more hands there. How about less money on housing 20 years from now than they do today? A few hands there. And how about less money on education? Okay, good.

00:01:43.760 Just so you understand, I actually think that we're going to be spending less money on all of these areas 20 years from now. When we spend less money in these areas, that frees up more funds to go into other places. In March of 2008, Steve Jobs introduced the software developers kit for the Apple iPhone. It was in July of that year when they opened the App Store with 552 apps. Over the next three days, those 552 apps were downloaded 60 million times. Today, we have over two million apps available for download through either Android or Apple devices.

00:02:04.079 This economy has grown into a $26 billion dollar industry just over the last five years, according to the Gartner Group. So, this is an area where money has been freed up and has come from other places to support the app economy.

00:02:18.239 My name is Thomas Frey, and I work at the Da Vinci Institute. We have a program called Da Vinci Coders, where we develop new Ruby on Rails programmers through the courses we are offering. Every time you hear about new technology coming into play, whether it's flying drones, driverless cars, teacher-less education, or doctor-less hospitals, all of this is increasing the demand for coders.

00:02:30.400 This increased demand for individuals working in this field is what we aim to address. We are doing our best to create the next generation of coders. So for those interested in what we're doing at Da Vinci Coders, our graduation is happening on Monday. We have a demo day, and I invite you to come. We also have new classes starting on October 7th. Thank you very much! You can find more information at davincicoders.com.