Getting Unstuck: Strategies For Solving Problems
Thursday, July 29, 2021 - 3:30 PM UTC, for 1 hour.
Regular, 60 minute presentation
Room: African 50 & African 60
You’ve followed along with the docs. Everything seems like it should be working. You’ve looked over this code 20 times, but you can’t figure out why it’s failing. You’re frustrated, and you’re ready to give up. Even with the simplest of problems, we can get stuck. It happens to engineers of all experience levels - new hires and senior engineers alike. The key to success as a developer is knowing how to get yourself unstuck. In this session, we’ll start by reframing the act of getting stuck as a positive. Then we’ll talk about many strategies for identifying the problem and moving on. We’ll discuss the psychology behind these strategies, and answer questions like “Why do my best ideas come to me in the shower?” Finally, we’ll look at ways to harden yourself for the next time you get stuck. Getting unstuck is a skill. This session will help you sharpen that skill, and prepare you for the next time you want to throw your keyboard out a window.