For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
221: Cultivating Strength and Change with Wesley Faulkner
01:59 - Wesley’s Superpower: Connecting With People and Being a Social Chameleon
11:31 - Sharing Responsibility Based on Strengths; Delegating “Weakness”
- Strengths Finder 2.0
- Positions vs Roles
23:52 - Mission Statements Are Bullsh*t (especially for marginalized people/groups)
- False Value Systems
- Veni Kunche: Diversify Tech
“The real barrier is individuals who don’t want to lose power.”
32:16 - Talking Truth to Power: Enacting Change
- Systems Thinking: A Primer
- Networking
- Running For City Council / Learning How Politics Work
- A Promised Land by Barak Obama
- User Research
- Accessing People
“Strong opinions don’t mean right opinions.”
Reflections:
Damien: The decommodification of labor and people.
John: Finding strengths and leaning into them so you can be the most effective.
Casey: We are stronger together.
Wesley: Skills are things you aren’t necessarily born with. You can create and cultivate them.
This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep of DevReps, LLC. To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode
To make a one-time donation so that we can continue to bring you more content and transcripts like this, please do so at paypal.me/devreps. You will also get an invitation to our Slack community this way as well.
Special Guest: Wesley Faulkner.
Sponsored By:
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