She thought Rails Girls would be a cool hobby. Seven years later she is a non-profit trustee at Codebar.io, helping newbies break into tech.

During the day, Priya Patil (LinkedIn, Email) helps companies of all sizes solve their problems as a polyglot engineer for 8th Light, a consultancy based out of London and Chicago.

At night, people like Priya are building a more diverse future for the tech industry. She was one of the first students of Codebar.io, a non-profit inspired by taking Rails Girls workshops. She continued by becoming a coach, and now is one of 6 trustees that steer the vision and execution.

You can also be the change for diversity by joining Codebar as a student or coach.

In our chat, we talk about hands-on learning, taking breaks, the history of Codebar, growth patterns, and successful software without test-driven development.

This episode is packed with insights about:

• (00:01:44 ) Take a sabbatical when you can (and be intentional)


• (00:08:39 ) Rails Girls starts with connection and empowerment


• (00:12:07 ) "I owe my career to Codebar,... but it's not unusual."


• (00:27:50 ) A great environment is where everyone is humble and willing to learn


• (00:31:01 ) Tech expectations are immature compared to other industries


• (00:33:58 ) Success starts with engaged communication


• (00:42:19 ) Balance humility with taking healthy credit


• (00:50:20 ) Effort + Practice = Expertise


• (00:51:48 ) Helping people grow needs many different hats


• (01:02:23 ) Code-based systems are more predictable than human-based systems


• (01:03:38 ) Big companies don't have panaceas to "big" problems


• (01:11:35 ) Sometimes success is just throwing more talent at the problem

Check blog.introspectivedeveloper.com for transcripts and show notes.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, or your favorite platform.

Zeke Arany-Lucas is a developer, coach, and consultant from Seattle, living and working in Berlin since 2014. He has been in the tech industry for more than 25 years, starting with browser platform development, including long stints at both Microsoft and Amazon in multiple leadership roles. You can also follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Artwork by Emre Aydogan & Laura Diezler — ©️2022 Zeke Arany-Lucas