This document discusses how adopting an open source mentality at PayPal improved their technology, processes, and culture. It describes how using Node.js as a "Trojan horse" helped change PayPal's traditionally risk-averse culture by starting small and building transparency. Open source practices like relying on community conventions, assuming good faith, and prioritizing documentation helped PayPal developers work more effectively and build trust both within the company and with the external community.

1. About-Face
REFLECTIONS ON GROWING AN
OPEN-SOURCE MENTALITY

2. About-Face
HOW I SNUCK A CULTURE TALK INTO
NODEDAY AMSTERDAM

3. Self-Destruct
HOW TO WRITE A
SELF-DEFEATING TALK

4. PLEASE ALLOW MYSELF
TO PROPERLY
INTRODUCE MYSELF

5. Jean-Charles Sisk
twitter/@jcse • github/jasisk • jeancharles@paypal
▸ BOSTON, MA, USA
▸ ENGINEER
▸ PAYPAL

6. "I have hats older than your country."
— Europeans

15. Jean-Charles Sisk
twitter/@jcse • github/jasisk • jeancharles@paypal
▸ BOSTON, MA, USA
▸ ENGINEER
▸ PAYPAL

16. i said
YES

18. THE JOB
I HAVE

19. I work, primarily, on
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

20. JOB I
WISH I HAD
MATCHING FAMILY
SWEATSHIRT MODEL

21. NODEJS

23. you're in luck,
I AM NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT NODEJS

24. SINCE ADOPTING NODEJS IN 2012
▸ massive growth in app-engineer developed componentry
▸ greatly improved developer happiness
▸ significantly faster time to live

25. OUR APPLICATIONS
APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN
BUILT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

27. REMEMBER WHEN PAYPAL
LOOKED LIKE THIS?

28. Technology adoption checklist:
▸ TECHNOLOGY
▸ PROCESS
▸ CULTURE

29. don't worry,
I'M STILL NOT GOING TO
TALK ABOUT NODEJS

30. Technology adoption checklist:
▸ TECHNOLOGY
▸ PROCESS
▸ CULTURE

31. NODEJS WAS A
TROJAN HORSE

32. "If one sticks to the idea that once set,
a plan should not be changed, a business
cannot exist for long."
— Taiichi Ohno

33. But first:
A BRIEF HISTORY

34. OOPS

35. PAYPAL IN THE
MID-AUGHTS WAS
DRIVEN EXCLUSIVELY
BY RISK MITIGATION

36. SLOW BY DESIGN

37. Developers:
CREATURES OF HABIT

38. TRUST
NO ONE

39. nih(NOT INVENTED HERE)

40. GREAT FOR FARMS—NOT GREAT FOR YOU
UNLESS YOU FARM, IN WHICH CASE I'M IMPRESSED

41. "everything is a secret and
I trust no one."
— Developers

42. PAYPAL IN THE
MID-AUGHTS WAS
DRIVEN EXCLUSIVELY
BY RISK MITIGATION

43. !

44. THE CULTURE WAS THE REAL REASON FOR THE DECISION TO CHANGE
THE TECHNOLOGY WAS HOW WE SOLD IT

45. HOW?

46. start small

47. TEAR IT
DOWN

48. BUILD IT
BACK UP

49. TRANSPARENTLY?

50. CONSIDER EVERYTHING BUT
DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO

51. TRANSPARENCY:
I lied.
ENJOY THE FOLLOWING NODEJS CODE

52. HOW TO WRITE AN EXPRESS APP
import Express from 'express';
const app = Express();
app.listen(8000);

53. HOW TO WRITE A KRAKEN APP
import Express from 'express';
import Kraken from 'kraken-js';
const app = Express();
app.use(Kraken());
app.listen(8000);

54. HOW TO WRITE A PAYPAL APP
import Express from 'express';
import Kraken from 'kraken-js';
import PayPal from 'paypalize';
const app = Express();
const opts = PayPal();
app.use(Kraken(opts));
app.listen(8000);

55. So …
WHAT DOES
THAT GIVE US?

56. dynamic service mapping, local secrets decryption,
service configuration, PayPal standard configuration
(csrf, x-frame, etc), central logging, central cookie
handling, central device-detection, central session
handling, central exception tracking, monitoring,
analytics, app heath-checks, infra-specific uncaught
exception handling, CDN awareness …
… you generally wouldn't know that unless you read the README.

57. RELY ON EXISTING
COMMUNITY CONVENTIONS

58. when you're not wasting time learning and fighting your internal
systems, you have time to accomplish the job you signed up for

59. Homework:SEE WHAT KATHY SIERRA HAS TO SAY
ABOUT DEPLETING COGNITIVE RESOURCES1
1
youtu.be/FKTxC9pl-WM

60. "Fine, but that's a lot of work for one
line. Isn't that too magical?"
— you

61. AbsolutelyBUT THERE'S A CATCH

62. EVERYTHING IS IN THE OPEN
WITH AN EMPHASIS ON
DOCUMENTATION AND
DISCOVERABILITY

64. "What about our process?
We can't make [custom-x]
an open process."
— you

65. K. DON'T.BUT FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK

66. HOOK INTO COMMON PROCESSES
▸ Source Control
▸ Continuous Integration
▸ Distribution Service
▸ Deployment

67. consider optimism
ASSUME SUCCESS AND
GOOD INTENTIONS FOR NON-
CRITICAL SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS

68. ADOPTING COMMON CONVENTION
AND BUILDING IN THE OPEN
BUILDS TRUST

69. PROMOTING TRUST:
COMMUNITY

70. BUILDING COMMUNITY:
CULTURE

71. … big finish …

72. IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT
THESE ARE PRECISELY THE WAYS LARGE-
SCALE OPEN-SOURCE PROJECTS WORK

73. … wall of text alert …

74. Building our projects as if they're open-source even with no intention of
ever opening them up has lead to better documentation, discoverability,
ownership, responsibility, code-quality, efficacy, etc.
By emulating practices we've seen and used in the open-source
community, we've seen tremendous growth from both seasoned
developers and new hires alike.
By simply adopting open principles,
PayPal is a measurably better place to work.

75. Thanks.
@JCSE