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RailsConf 2019 - The Selfish Programmer by Justin Searls

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Using Ruby at work is great… but sometimes it feels like a job!

This year, I rediscovered the joy of writing Ruby apps for nobody but myself—and you can, too! Solo development is a great way to learn skills, find inspiration, and distill what matters most about software.

Building a real app on your own can be overwhelming, but this talk will make it easier. From development to monitoring, you'll build a toolset you can maintain yourself. You'll learn a few "bad" practices that will make your life easier. You may even find that selfish coding will make you a better team member at work!

#railsconf #confreaks

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In his presentation "The Selfish Programmer" at RailsConf 2019, Justin Searls explores the benefits of programming for oneself rather than within a team or organization. He argues that adopting a selfish approach can enhance creativity and productivity by focusing on incremental goals and prioritizing personal interests. The key traits of a successful solo programmer are discussed: antisocial, egotistical, and irresponsible. Searls emphasizes that being antisocial allows programmers to pursue small, achievable projects without the pressure of teamwork, illustrated through his experience with developing apps to aid in learning Japanese.

Key points discussed in the talk include:  
- **Antisocial Programming**: Successful solo programmers are unambitious, focusing on small goals to avoid burnout. Searls created the "one weekend rule" to limit project scope to what can be achieved in a single weekend, thereby maintaining motivation and focus.  
- **Ungratefulness Toward Open Source**: Solo developers must be cautious with dependencies; too many can lead to maintenance nightmares. Searls suggests categorizing dependencies based on trust rather than convenience.  
- **Ungenerosity in Code Reusability**: Unlike in a team where shared code is encouraged, solo programmers benefit from keeping their code isolated. Searls advocates for soundproofing code to make it easier to manage and modify without potential ripple effects across multiple functionalities.  
- **Egotistical Acceptance of Messy Code**: Solo programmers can ship imperfect code quickly, allowing for iterative improvements based on user feedback, as it is easier when only one person is responsible for the project.  
- **Irresponsibility with Operations**: Searls discusses how developers should minimize operational responsibilities to focus on development, advocating for the use of platforms like Heroku, which automate much of the operational workload.  
- **Fickleness**: Searls admits that working solo often leads to inconsistent coding styles due to personal changes in preference. A solution he proposes is to use coding standards tools to maintain consistency without debate.  
- **Unhelpfulness**: He emphasizes solving recurring problems at once rather than continuously providing quick fixes, and he shares a humorous example of the "To Do or Die" gem that ensures he rectifies potential code issues before they become problematic.

In conclusion, Searls encourages developers to embrace the benefits of being "selfish" in their programming endeavors, suggesting that this approach can lead to greater creativity, flexibility, and personal satisfaction in software development.

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