Our guest this week is Kent C. Dodds, a developer who makes a terrific impact on the community through his workshops, talks, and newsletter. We chat about why he loves React and how he automated his way from a business analyst to a full fledged software engineer. Plus, the value of execution versus intelligence, and how version control worked in the days before Git.
Part 1
The crew chats about how Paul and Sara made the transition from individual contributors to managers overseeing teams of engineers. Sara used to see this transition as a form of selling out, but has a new perspective after having made the shift. Paul admits he still doesn’t feel like a “CEO” and how he approaches his role as the co-founder who focuses on creating signal instead of operations. Lastly, we argue about Bitcoin and examine the role luck plays in life, especially for The Rock.
Interview - Kent C. Dodds
Kent admits that when he first tried programming, he just couldn’t understand strings, and decided the career path wasn’t for him. He ended up on a track that would have made him an accountant or business intelligence analyst. From that perch, however, he began to find ways to automate and improve his workflows. Not only did this help him stand out at work, it reawakened his interest in coding, which is now his full time career.
Part 2
Sara talks about the difference between writing code for software applications, and writing firmware, which she got into while helping to launch and run Jewelbots. Paul and Sara recall what it was like working in tech during the 90s, when they had to constantly worry about how to conserve RAM. We also talk about the days before Git, when folks passed a hard drive around from hand to hand. The kids today have no idea how good they have it.