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Xavier Shay Becoming a senior contributor to your organization takes years. It's a process that is stubbornly hard to accelerate - it takes much more than drilling code katas! In this talk Xavier reflect on situations he's encountered over the last decade, and apply some academic models he's found useful to explain and learn from them. By doing so we can better understand the limits to learning and prepare ourselves to make the most out of our experience. Xavier recently moved back home to Melbourne after spending eight years in San Francisco, mostly as an engineering leader at Square. Currently working at Ferocia building Up, a fancy new digital bank. He's scheming to introduce the RubyConf 5K tradition to Australia. Produced by NDV: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQ7dFBzZGlBvtU2hCecsBBg?sub_confirmation=1 #ruby #rubyconf #rubyconfau #rubyconf_au #rails #programming Fri Feb 21 16:35:00 2020 at Plenary Room
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# My Experience With Experience In his talk at RubyConf AU 2020, Xavier Shay explores the complexities of learning from experience in professional environments, particularly within software engineering. Drawing from a decade of personal experiences, Shay emphasizes that while becoming a senior contributor takes time, understanding and improving the learning process can help individuals make the most of their professional journey. ## Key Points - **Learning from Experience**: Shay starts by acknowledging that learning from experience is inherently challenging. He queries how individuals can enhance their learning, and how coaching others to improve can be equally difficult. - **Feedback Loops**: The concept of feedback loops is discussed, particularly in relation to software engineering practices like red-green-refactor and A/B testing. However, Shay highlights the limitations of this model when applied to wider career-related challenges. - **Wicked Environments**: Shay introduces the idea of wicked learning environments, where the mismatch between learning settings and real-world applications can lead to ineffective learning. He differentiates between kind environments (where practice and application align) and wicked environments (where they do not) using the hiring process as an example. - **Interview Process**: Shay discusses how interviews often fail to accurately predict job performance. He explores potential blind spots and the implications of mismatches between the learning and performance environments. - **Broader Learning Paradigms**: He reflects on how Ruby developers may miss out on learning from other methodologies. Although the Ruby community excels in certain areas, it can also lead to limited exposure to diverse engineering practices. - **Expert’s Curse**: This concept outlines how useful techniques can become restrictive philosophies, leading to dogmatic thinking. Shay argues for a more flexible approach to problem-solving that avoids rigid lenses. - **Collaboration for Better Decision-Making**: Shay references Philip Tetlock’s research on forecasting and emphasizes that collaboration among diverse experts fosters better decision-making in uncertain environments. ## Conclusions Xavier Shay's talk culminates in the understanding that improving our ability to learn from experiences requires a recognition of the complexities involved. By exploring different models of learning, acknowledging our blind spots, and remaining open to diverse methodologies, we can enhance our learning processes and professional development. **Takeaway**: To succeed in the evolving landscape of software engineering and beyond, it’s essential to embrace a variety of learning experiences and methodologies while being mindful of the limitations posed by our established practices.
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