This document discusses what it means to be a solid developer in 2016. It outlines key qualities of a solid developer, including the ability to solve problems through code or analysis, balance pragmatism and perfectionism, debug and fix bugs, have healthy skepticism and business/social awareness, and be a continuous learner. The document contrasts what it was like to be a developer in the 1990s versus today, noting there is far more information available now that must be managed. It emphasizes the importance of finding communities, mentors, collaboration, giving back through open source, and staying pragmatic over following methodologies strictly.

1. THE JOURNEY TO
BECOME A
SOLID DEVELOPER
@_orso_ and @cirpo

3. solid
Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪd/
1. Firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid

4. solid
Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪd/
2. Having three dimensions

5. solid
Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪd/
3. Not hollow or containing spaces or gaps

6. solid
Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪd/
4. Dependable, reliable

7. What it means being
a solid developer
in 2016?

8. Can solve problems/needs either through code and/or analysis
Is able to balance pragmatism and perfectionism
Is not averse to debugging and bug fixing
Has healthy skepticism
Has business-awareness
Has social-awareness
Is a continuous learner
Someone who

10. Why in 2016?

11. Why in 2016?
Because the concept of a solid developer hasn’t been always the same

13. 20 years ago… 1996

14. IN THE 90’S IT WAS CALLED ANNOYING MODEM NOISE

16. How was to be a dev those days?

17. How was to be a dev those days?
Well, most probably a lonely experience

18. No GrUSP
Not so many conferences
No meetups (with free pizza and beer)
No Github

19. THERE WERE NO...

22. If you wanted to learn something new...

23. If you wanted to learn something new...
buy a book or wait for an article on
$IT_Magazine...

26. A bit of (PHP) history

27. 1998 PHP 3
1999 Pear
In the meantime...

28. 1998 PHP 3
In the meantime...
1999 Pear

29. 2000 PHP 4
2003 PECL
In the meantime...

30. 2000 PHP 4
2003 PECL
In the meantime...

31. 2000 PHP 4
2003 PECL
In the meantime...

32. In the meantime...
2000 PHP 4
2003 PECL

36. 2005 sf 1 / zf 1
2008 github

37. TODAY

39. It’s always the web, but it’s different.
Same protocol (HTTP), but several different
platforms, devices, technologies and methodologies

41. internetlivestats.com/internet-users
3,365,312,161
internet users in the world
and counting...

42. internetlivestats.com/
2,937,041
blog posts written today

43. internetlivestats.com/
2,043,705 TB
Internet traffic today

44. internetlivestats.com/
43,705
Website hacked today

46. today we have the opposite problem:
we have access to TONS AND TONS of information
instantly!

52. Manage the information overload

54. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs

55. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs
feeds

56. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs
feeds
tweets

57. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs
feeds
tweets
slack channels

58. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs
feeds
tweets
newsletters
slack channels

59. We are overwhelmed by informations:
blogs
feeds
tweets
newsletters
newsletter of newsletter of newslet
slack channels

61. We are developers and we like learning new
tools, technologies, programming
languages, whatever,
but we are humans and every day is 24 hours
for everyone of us.
We cannot physically learn/know everything

62. “There are discoverable limits to
the amount of change that the
human organism can absorb.”
Alvin Toffler - Future Shock 1970

64. [SUGGESTIONS]

69. Find a community

70. Find a mentor

71. Ask for help

72. Again:
stick to the fact that you can’t learn
everything!

73. Keep an eye on what’s going on
around you
thoughtworks.com/radar

76. [BACK TO BASICS]

77. Most of the time it’s turning wheel.
Most of the time there is nothing
new, old concepts but better
implementation/better hardware or
new needs

80. So what are the basics?

81. So what are the basics?
it depends...

82. HTTP

83. what’s the difference between a
GET and a POST?

84. “POST is more secure”

85. “The difference is that
in a GET request the parameter are in the url,
in a POST request, the parameter are in the body’s
request”

87. how many of you knows what happens
when you enter a url in the browser?
github.com/alex/what-happens-when

89. dotfiles.github.io

90. even if you’re not a devops, try to learn
how/where your code runes

91. don’t change your editor every two
days!

92. keep yourself trained
kata
hackrank
codewars
you name it

93. [BE A POLYMATH]

96. PHP is here to stay

97. Javascript as well

99. next?

100. next?

101. Solve the same problems

102. Solve the same problems
in different ways

105. [ BE YOURSELF
BE PRAGMATIC ]

106. many methodologies,
many technologies

107. What’s wrong in this code?

111. We ♥ DDD, Clean Code, TDD

112. CARGO CULT

113. our goal is to satisfy our clients
not our ego

114. keep things simple

115. use your brain

116. “more unit than functional tests”

117. DRY is fine…

118. The other side of DRY is coupling

119. Sometimes we see code

120. Sometimes we see code
as an expression of our intelligence

121. Be pragmatic

122. [BE COLLABORATIVE]

124. Continuous learning (non unidirectional)
individuals and interaction over processes and tools
Not just the tech stuff, also the domain you’re
in

125. Don’t be just an executor

126. Ask why

127. [GIVE BACK]

128. Opensource

133. small things matters

136. you should not be afraid to fail

137. try to find a place where failure is ok

138. failure is a learning opportunity...

139. you have to get what went wrong ;-)

140. so what about being a solid dev?

141. don’t be a dark matter developer

142. use your brain

143. Learn to choose

144. know your strengths

145. know your limits

146. a.k.a be yourself!

147. THE JOURNEY IS NOT (NEVER?) OVER

148. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT

149. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT
introvert
extrovert
technical
meticulous
stubborn

150. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT
introvert
extrovert
technical
product-oriented
meticulous
stubborn
funny

151. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT
introvert
extrovert
technical
cautious
product-oriented
meticulous
stubborn
humble
funny

152. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT
introvert
extrovert
technical
cautious
product-oriented
meticulous
dreamer
stubborn
humble
funny

156. WE

157. WE
ARE

158. WE
ARE
DEVELOPERS