Episode 185 | Heather Downing - Finding The Joy

Guest: Heather Downing @quorralyne Heather Downing talks with Dave Rael about being lit up, changing careers, human connections in software and elsewhere, and making an impact. Climbing the technology mountain and halfway up the side. Experience in .Net, mobile and basic iOT. Focusing on coding for humans and choosing the right tool for the job. Heather is a passionate coder and entrepreneur. She has experience working with Fortune 500 companies building enterprise level mobile and .Net applications. She spends her spare time at tech conferences supporting the growth of new developers of all genders, ages and backgrounds. When not coding, Heather spends her time as a competitive equestrian and learning the art of mounted archery. Chapters: 0:56 - Dave introduces the show and Heather Downing3:25 - Heather the introvert and the need to relate to other people5:23 - Heather the career changer - the emotional journey of digging into technology and ultimately and becoming a developer9:21 - Heather's interest in and love for horses14:37 - Battling Imposter Syndrome, learning to accept credit for the fruits of your labor, the joy and benefits of awesome communities21:07 - Heather's advice for imposters24:49 - The great fortune of being a software developer26:20 - Human connection and the importance of communication, lessons in humanity from creating software28:36 - Heather's story of failure - keeping quiet instead of asking for help, leading to dire consequences36:19 - Heather's success story - achieving flexibility and versatility in learning new technology and skills - going from concept to reality in a startup weekend and spawning a software movement in a particular domain43:37 - Heather's book recommendation46:02 - The things that have Heather most excited53:38 - Heather's top 3 tips for delivering more value55:56 - Keeping up with Heather Resources: Heather's Blog Jeremy Clark on Developer On Fire Brave (2012 film) Mounted archery Yabusame Mongol Mounted Archers Must Listen History Podcast Series on the Mongols - Hardcore History - Wrath of the Khans - Dan Carlin (no longer free) Jon Mills on Developer On Fire Impostor Syndrome Lee Brandt on Developer On Fire Scott Hanselman on Being An Imposter The Imposter's Handbook - Rob Conery Dressage The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master - Andrew Hunt Matthew Renze Tesla Solar Roof Solar Roadways HyperDev Daniel Moore on Developer On Fire Heather at PairieCode() Speaking on Imposter Syndrome Heather's book recommendation: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles - Steven Pressfield Heather's top 3 tips for delivering more value: Take inventory of your skill set and assess where you are in relation to what you need to do Don't be shy about asking for help Find the joy in what you're building