Amy Jollymore
On software, satisfaction, and being CEO
Connecting with women in technology at DeveloperWeek 2014
I was honored to be on stage with four notable women in technology, last month at DeveloperWeek. The panel included Jennifer Davis, Anne Ahola Ward, Anna Chiara Bellini, and Selby Walker. Each of the panelists responded in earnest to questions that explored work satisfaction, taking ownership of one’s career, and the real and perceived barriers that keep anyone from taking charge of their career path, ever reminding the audience that it takes a shift in just one person’s self-concept to promote change in the world.
Following are (just a few of) the most enjoyable moments from the afternoon:
- Arabella says women must inspire other women to imagine careers in tech [at 1:37]
- Why Jennifer Davis isn’t bored after six years at Yahoo! [at 9:24]
- Anne Ahola Ward on the culture at her company, CircleClick [at 11:49]
- Selby Walker talks about the value of accomplishments [at 14:46]
- The Princess or Bitch question – Anna Bellini responds [at 22:13]
Understand the four layers of JavaScript OOP in one short lesson
6 highlights from Axel Rauschmayer's webcast
Last week Axel Rauschmayer presented “The Four Layers of JavaScript OOP.” His approach to teaching JavaScript OOP is doing so incrementally, through layers. Each of the four layers builds upon the last. The lesson runs just under an hour.
- The live audience (1,500 attendees) brought certain foreknowledge to the course, represented by this graph (based on a live poll). Most individuals had knowledge of object oriented programming, whether with JavaScript or another language, and fewest had knowledge of prototype chains. [at 01:30]
- Axel walked through an overview of the 4 layers of JavaScript OOP and summarized each. [at 2:25]
- Layer 1, Single object. [at 3:55]
- Layer 2, Prototype chain. [at 14:52]
Layers 1 and 2 together form a simple core, which you can refer back to if confusion sets in. This way you can re-ground yourself at any point in the foundations of the course.
9 branding trends for startups in 2014
Laura Busche looks at trends through a Lean Startup lens
Your code can be clean as a whistle and your software deployment on-time, but if you’re a startup, branding is as vital to your success as any non-crashing app. The following trends are discussed through a frame of Lean Startup practices, relevant to any startup.
I sat down with the one-in-a-million Laura Busche, author of the upcoming book Lean Branding, at the recent Lean Startup Conference in San Francisco. We talked about what she sees as important branding trends for 2014. Those trends follow below, in both text and video formats.
You’ll find one additional surprise trend covered below, the video portion of which you can see in the Top Lean Branding Trends for 2014 compilation video below.
Are there any patterns within the nine trends discussed? Considered as a whole, a feeling of intimacy and intrigue certainly stand out. The intimacy element comes in the form of big brands trying to let customers feel closer to them by acting like smallish local brands, as well as the intimacy of working directly with customers to create the message of a brand (crowdsourcing) rather than lecturing potential customers about the merits of a brand. The intrigue element comes in the form of the use of images rather than words to communicate brands, playing on immediate emotional response, and also from brands surprising customers with their unusual personalities and intentional quirkiness, as well as by turning up in customer conversations to solve problems.
7 ways to be a better programmer in 2014
Great tips to help you sharpen your skills
Coders make resolutions, no? If your to-do-better list is still empty, consider these ideas from other programmers to put to use in the New Year. Even the smartest folks have room to grow. The following excerpts are contained in the book 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know edited by Kevlin Henney.
Ada Lovelace, an Indirect and Reciprocal Influence
Celebrating women in technology and the curious mind of Ada Lovelace
When I heard that Ada Lovelace Day was coming, I questioned myself, “What do I actually know about Ada Lovelace?” The sum total of my knowledge: Ada was the first woman programmer and the Department of Defense honored her contributions to computation in 1979 by naming its common programming language Ada.
A few Ada biographies later, I know Augusta Ada Lovelace to be an incredibly complex woman with a painful life story, one in which math, shame, and illness were continuously resurfacing themes. Despite all, Ada tirelessly pursued her passion for mathematics, making her contributions to computing undeniable and her genius all the more clear. Her accomplishments continue to serve as an inspiration to women throughout the world.