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Naijeria is a product manager turned Rails developer, and she talks about her experience from not being in tech, to learning React and then switching to Rails. Friendly.rb is an International Ruby Conference hosted in Bucharest at the end of September and focuses on community and creating connections. https://friendlyrb.com https://twitter.com/friendlyrb
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In her talk titled "Finding Ruby and Falling in Love with Rails" at the Friendly.rb 2023 conference, Naijeria Toweett, a former product manager turned Rails developer, shares her journey from a non-technical background to proficiency in web development. She begins by outlining her personal and professional background, including her roles as a technical manager at Girl Effect and a manual QA tester at Wild Pulse. Naijeria emphasizes three critical aspects of her life: - Transitioning into tech at the age of 45. - Balancing her career with motherhood as a mother of three. - Her passion for problem-solving, aiming to create scalable solutions. Her journey into web development began when she tried to assist a friend with a project for a nonprofit organization working with children in rugby. Despite her initial confidence in using React, Naijeria encountered significant difficulties. The use of outdated systems like Microsoft Access and Google Sheets complicated data management for the nonprofit. To digitize their processes, she proposed creating a mobile-friendly platform for data entry that would address the inefficiencies faced by field teams. Importantly, she used user journey mapping to create tailored experiences for different stakeholders. However, after six months of working on her application in React, Naijeria became frustrated with the framework's limitations and her slow progress, which was compounded by her multiple responsibilities at work and home. Upon discovering Ruby on Rails, she experienced a significant shift. Key improvements in her development process included: - Rapid project scaffolding that allowed her to develop the application much more efficiently. - Enhanced productivity, as she completed her Rails project in just three weeks compared to the previous six months with React. - A supportive community and numerous built-in features that eased her learning curve as a newcomer. Her concluding thoughts express gratitude to those who supported her, including colleagues, friends, and family, who helped sustain her through her transition into tech. Naijeria's story illustrates the importance of finding the right tools for development and highlights Rails as an accessible and efficient option for new developers. She encourages others to consider the speed and support within the Rails community when choosing a development path, urging them to embrace this framework for achieving their goals. Overall, her experience serves as an inspirational narrative for aspiring developers and emphasizes the value of adaptability in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
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