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)
191: Sitting Down Together with Amy Tobey
02:14 - Amy’s Superpower: Looking at a mess and seeing the potential for what it could be.
03:40 - Generalists vs Specialists
“The job description should describe the capabilities that the team needs, not that the individual needs.”
15:28 - Finding a “Beautiful” Mess in Technical Systems
“The biggest impediment to change is your users.” – Jessica
22:40 - Artisanal and Industrial Modes of Production
- Systems are indelibly stamped by the experience of the people who built them
28:25 - Design, Use, and Reliability
32:30 - Convincing Executives to Care About a Thing
- Now vs Later
- Where do we spend our attention to maximize value?
- Viable System Model
- Context Over Control / Communication Without Authority
41:08 - Whistleblowing is Good Because Misuse of Authority is Bad
51:33 - SRE (Site Reliability Engineering)
“The goal of SRE is to change the way your organization relates to the systems it runs.” – Rein
Reflections:
Jessica: Bonus question: Amy, why do you hate the word, “mature”?
Rein: “A problem is an abstraction extracted from a mess via analysis.” – Russel Ackoff
Amy: Models: We keep trying the same patterns and complaining about the same outcomes.
- Thinking by Machine: A Study of Cybernetics
- Cybernetic Revolutionaries: Technology and Politics in Allende's Chile
- Greater Than Code Episode 093: BOOK CLUB! Cybernetic Revolutionaries with Eden Medina
- Brain of the Firm
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
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Special Guest: Amy Tobey.
Sponsored By:
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