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Hello, everyone! As you can see, I'm here in Brazil for the first time!
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I'm Robby Russell, and today, we'll be having a little fun together!
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So, thank you all for being so welcoming. This is my first trip south of the Equator. It's a bit of a new experience for me.
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I appreciate everyone's hospitality, and now that I've shared a bit about myself, let's get on with the show!
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This session is a Rails Foundation AMA, and I have the pleasure of welcoming two wonderful people to the stage with me. Please join me in welcoming Amanda Perino, the Executive Director of the Rails Foundation, who has traveled all the way from Amsterdam, and Bruno Miranda, the Senior Vice President of Engineering at Doximity.
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Thank you both for being here! The format for today’s AMA is that I will pose some questions based on inquiries from our audience. While I might sneak in a few personal questions, the main focus is to address yours.
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Thanks to our fantastic hosts, many of your questions have been translated for me, and I’ll do my best to tackle as many as possible. I noticed some of you submitted similar questions, so I have combined them where necessary. I apologize if your name isn't mentioned directly.
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Now, to kick things off, the first question we're asking is: What is the Rails Foundation? Amanda, would you like to provide us with an update?
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For those who are not aware, the Rails Foundation was launched and announced in November 2022. David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) contacted several companies, including Cookpad, Doximity, GitHub, and Shopify, to discuss the creation of a foundation to support the Rails community.
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The founding members of the Rails Foundation represent these companies, and each member has someone on the board—a significant role that Bruno holds. Additionally, we’re supported by contributing members such as AppSignal and Planet Argon.
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Many of these companies that you see sponsoring today believe in investing in Rails, and they’re also sponsors for this event. Our mission is to support the Rails community by improving documentation, marketing, education, and events surrounding Rails.
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Our aim is to enhance how we present Rails to both seasoned developers and newcomers alike. We want to make sure that we're communicating effectively about Rails and amplifying the outstanding work that Rails Core is continually doing.
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As Rails Core develops and refines the framework, our job is to improve the documentation and messaging. We want to attract new developers by providing accessible marketing and education while ensuring that current users have excellent documentation.
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The documentation has gone through a significant period without updates, so we’re reviewing each guide to refresh the content and design. Recently, we launched the newly updated guides for Rails, which had not been revised since 2009. We’ve updated the user experience and design to reflect modern needs.
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Marketing efforts are not about selling Rails but about improving our dialogue surrounding it. We aim to spotlight companies that successfully use Rails, like Shopify and Doximity, and to share the benefits of Rails with a wider audience.
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Regarding education, we’re revisiting existing tutorials and creating new resources focusing on Rails 8. We hope to launch that shortly after Rails 8 is live. We're also committed to holding Rails World annually, which successfully took place for the first time last year.
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We aim to support other events and ensure that more people have access to learning opportunities in Rails. That's a broad overview of our work. Thank you!
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Thank you, Amanda! I'd like to note that Doximity, as Amanda mentioned, is also sponsoring tropical.rb and Rails Girls, which is great.
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Let’s now dive into your questions. To start, we have a challenging one. An anonymous attendee asks: Why did you feel there was a need to establish an organization that duplicates much of the work already being done by Ruby Central?
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That’s an interesting question. However, when I speak with Ruby Central, they don’t raise concerns regarding this because our missions differ. The Rails Foundation specifically targets documentation, events, and marketing for Rails, while Ruby Central serves a broader community involving various Ruby frameworks.
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For instance, they maintain Ruby Gems, a vital service for all Rails applications. There may be opportunities for collaboration between our organizations down the line.
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Bruno, can you speak to the ongoing efforts from the 37 Signals team to support mobile device functionality within Rails? Is that also an initiative for the foundation and core team?
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That’s a significant question! While I can’t represent 37 Signals or the core team, I absolutely appreciate their focus on improving Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The ongoing developments, such as Turbo and Prop Shaft, are promising for better integration in Rails.
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If there’s interest from the members and their companies, there’s no reason not to pursue enhancements for PWAs within Rails. It benefits all of us.
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At Rails World, a similar topic arose regarding contributions to the project. The consensus was that contributions should focus on addressing real-world problems rather than hypothetical situations.
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If developers can identify actual needs and propose their solutions, they shouldn’t hesitate to contribute to the Rails project.
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Now, can I ask how many people here have used Rails guides in the past month? Great, keep your hands raised if you’ve seen the new design.
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That’s so encouraging! Amanda, it has been a little over a year since you became the Executive Director of the Rails Foundation. Congratulations!
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Let’s review your accomplishments. Part of your role involves connecting with the community. Can you share how your experience has been thus far?
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Well, it’s been quite a journey. Early on, we discussed a survey regarding the Ruby on Rails community that Plan Argon runs every couple of years. I loved that dialogue.
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Your efforts to gather insights on the community's needs and challenges have been invaluable. Thank you for your outreach!
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In your experience as Executive Director, how would you describe the Ruby on Rails community?
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I would say it's an extraordinarily welcoming and enthusiastic community. When I started, I initially encountered doubts about learning Rails, but the support I received from experienced Rails developers reassured me.
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The encouragement I've experienced mirrors the community's spirit, which makes it that much more special.
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Another anonymous attendee asks: What strategies do you think will help boost junior developers, ensuring a stronger and more unified community?
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While it's not directly in the foundation’s mission, we know that creating opportunities for juniors is crucial. For example, with Rails World, we intentionally assigned small projects that could be managed by junior developers.
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This approach allows them to build their portfolios while contributing to real projects.
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I commend Big Binary, a contributing member of the foundation that actively mentors junior developers through their final projects.
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Such initiatives foster enthusiasm for Rails and encourage juniors to explore opportunities in our community.
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Also, we invited everyone here to consider how they can support new developers—whether by mentoring or providing guidance. Find ways to cultivate and strengthen our community together.
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Employers could also create structured internship programs that focus on knowledge transfer rather than hiring a full-time role. It opens the door for junior developers and provides them with industry experience.
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Bruno, how do you see Rails growth in market expectations over the next five to 10 years?
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I’ve been involved with Rails for nearly two decades, and it continues to impress me with its solid foundation. The gems ecosystem and the advancements in PWAs present exciting opportunities.
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As David showcased in his presentation, Rails is on the verge of a renaissance with a strong community and infrastructure to support growth and scaling.
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I firmly believe that with ongoing improvements in documentation, education, and outreach efforts, Rails will continue attracting developers.
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Amanda, can you shed some light on the future of Rails documentation?
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Certainly. We have a focused team auditing our documentation to identify gaps, relevance, and clarity. Our goal is to make the content useful for both new and experienced developers.
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By the year's end, every document will undergo review, ensuring that it meets high-quality standards. We're making strides in improving readability and usability.
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Additionally, we push for community input through pull requests, and we celebrate contributions from developers like Matheus who provide valuable feedback.
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We also aim to enhance our SEO strategies so that Ruby on Rails documentation is more accessible and visible in search results, as well as highlight relevant, up-to-date examples.
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Any suggestions from the community on this front are always welcome!
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Through our engagement, we aim to cultivate a user-friendly environment for all.
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I want to add that while it's essential to structure well-written documents, it's also crucial for those documents to be easily understood by novices and non-developers.
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Amanda's current role helps infuse that fresh perspective into our mission.
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Let’s spotlight the importance of keeping documentation approachable to engage new developers.
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Thank you for your insights! Finally, Amanda, what initiatives could the Rails Foundation explore to attract more sponsors?
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More sponsorship will enable us to support educational grants for individuals eager to learn Rails and could even assist boot camps that currently teach Rails.
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It's essential to ensure that Rails remains relevant and that we continue nurturing the pipeline of new Rails developers.
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The collaborative efforts of existing sponsors are crucial for this growth.
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It’s a priority for us to keep that funding channel open and find innovative ways to engage with companies and boot camps.
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The job market does fluctuate and we want to remind boot camps that Rails remains a valuable tool in the tech landscape.
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Bruno, can you share tips for convincing employers to migrate to Rails?
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It’s essential to focus on presenting value. Wilfully articulate how Rails can enhance the company’s offerings—whether it's speed, efficiency, or reduced costs.
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Use comparables from businesses that have gained efficiency or reduced costs by switching to Rails. Demonstrating working code can be instrumental in conveying its benefits.
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Lastly, be transparent about the use of multiple languages in your stack; it demonstrates the ability to find suitable solutions, aligning with project needs.
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Anonymous asks how we can encourage more startups to adopt Rails over other technologies, such as React?
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It’s imperative to emphasize the value and efficiency that Rails offers, especially as a framework for startups looking to develop quickly.
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Marketing Rails’ strengths should be a collaborative effort in which the community shares their positive experiences.
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Success stories of Rails users can resonate with new businesses, ultimately encouraging them to engage with Rails actively.
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Robbie asks how organizations in South and Latin America can support Rails adoption in the upcoming years.
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Tropical.rb is a fantastic example of how regional events can highlight, connect, and build up the Rails community here. Sharing knowledge and experiences can lead to greater collaboration.
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Support for local initiatives can set a precedent for future growth and diversify how Rails is perceived globally.
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It's worth noting that collaboration across various tech communities enhances our momentum, making it a win-win for all.
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Next, an attendee asked about growth in tech companies migrating from Ruby to node.js or other backend frameworks.
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Instead of reverting, we should focus on which tools are best suited for individual projects. Our growth relies on recognizing that different technologies serve different needs.
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In many cases, Ruby on Rails effectively integrates with other frameworks, providing a well-rounded solution from front-end to back.
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Stories demonstrating how companies solve their specific challenges using Rails need to be shared more widely. Messaging is key.
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Amanda reminds us to also focus on the path for junior developers, ensuring their inclusion in open roles and opportunities.
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When preparing for interviews, juniors should come equipped with their experiences, showcasing projects they've worked on, regardless of how small they might feel.
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Building awareness and proactive involvement in the community can pay dividends when opportunities arise. Networking speaks volumes for candidates.
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This atmosphere of support encourages team members to actively mentor and guide newcomers.
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Anonymous also wonders about the Rails Foundation's tactics in promoting Rails content and whether there are strategies for encouraging wider engagement.
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Engaging with content creators in the Rails community who share their projects through blogs or social media helps inform others about Rails.
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These conversations reinforce the foundation's position that vibrant, quality content shared amongst this community can cultivate growing interest.
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Additionally, we encourage collaborative content creation for Rails and amplify showcasing efforts—whether they’re through written tutorials, podcasts, or video formats.
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The preservation of documentation and its potential translations will also shape our community narrative.
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Amanda touches on long-term strategies, reflecting interest in producing diverse documentation tailored to multi-language availability.
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Acknowledging regional nuances can also enhance our mission of inclusivity and represent the global nature of the Rails community.
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Thank you to everyone for your questions today! I’ll now invite Amanda and Bruno back on stage for final thoughts.
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Certainly, it’s been incredible to hear all your perspectives. We appreciate your participation!
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Thanks for joining us for this Rails Foundation AMA, and we look forward to seeing you at future events!
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Enjoy the rest of your sessions!
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Thank you, everyone. Goodbye!