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)
106: Taking Up Space with Laurie Barth
01:20 – Laurie’s Superpower: Being a Timesuck
08:44 – Interviewing and Hiring Developers Effectively
12:24 – Creating False Negatives: Turning Down Candidates Prematurely
18:11 – Interviewing: Working With Existing Codebases and Asking Questions About Values
RailsConf 2018: The Code-Free Developer Interview by Pete Holiday
22:59 – How ^ Advice Pertains to Different Sized Companies
25:54 – Getting the Entire Team Involved in Hiring Processes: People First, Technology Second
29:05 – YOU CAN USE GOOGLE!!! (It’s Not Cheating!)
33:55 – Coding: Smartness vs Patience; Coming From Non-Coding Backgrounds (and why it’s a good thing!)
Set Design: Putting the "Art" in "Architecture" by Betsy Haibel
45:14 – Learning: Skill or Mindset? / Overcoming Demoralization and Overwhelm
Everything Is Broken, and It's OK - John Sawers
49:43 – Keeping a Developer Journal and Dealing with Past Development Baggage
Reflections:
Laurie: Check out the talks we’ve linked to! Also, working together to make our industry not just accessible, but livable, enjoyable, and exciting.
Jamey: Refining the interviewing and hiring process and thinking about how we evaluate the people we talk to.
John: Take up space and demand the attention that you need.
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Sponsored By:
- Crickstart: This episode is sponsored by Crickstart. They make organic cricket protein bars, gourmet crackers, and fruit smoothie mixes made with organically farmed crickets and other delicious wholesome ingredients. Visit crickstart.com and get 20% off with promo code GREATERTHANCODE! Promo Code: GREATERTHANCODE