Hello, (Rails) world

My name is Tygh Walters, and this is my story of having the exquisite privilege to unexpectedly attend Rails World 2024 in Toronto, Canada!

Sorry, the title is misleading. Here, there are only wins.

It happened by a chance interaction with the IndieRails podcast account on social media. I answered a question and won a ticket sponsored by Buzzsprout to only the second Rails World which sold out in less than an hour months earlier.

What a serendipity! I never win anything!! LFG!!!

I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous {self_doubt: 'Am I developer enough?'} but overall feeling ready to show up and engage.

Since that day and for the past several weeks I’ve been on an energizing journey to soak it all up while putting this good fortune to good use. What should I do? What can I do?

Process vs. outcome

I can only control what I do (the process), not what happens (the outcome).

I committed to doing it all. Leaning into the conference as much as I could. Process orientation on 1,000%! How?:

Before the conference

  • Made an 28-post thread on X, one per day re: behind the scenes of my conference prep & perspective
  • Joined & participated in online Campfire discussions for attendees
  • Submitted a Lightning Talk “‘The Rails Way’ to Do Customer Service” - did not get accepted
  • Signed up for two pair-coding sessions one with Shopify dev and one with a Test Double dev
  • Follow all the speakers and others on X
  • Read all the posts and clicked all the links

During the conference

  • Never not in a session and early for both pair codings
  • Attended all day every day and both sponsored after-parties
  • Introduced myself to fellow attendees sitting nearby
  • Chatted with almost all the sponsor booths

After the conference

  • Completed the feedback survey
  • Launched this blog on Github Pages + Jekyll and
  • Wrote this post!

All the while continuing to build my own Rails apps. You could say that instead of casually strolling along the long Rails ramp, I started jogging with intention.

I’m still accelerating; moving faster towards proficiency and happiness while trying to repay the debt of gratitude I have.

Challenges that were actually wins

Lodging, the venue, and parties are miles apart

In order to attend all events attendees were required to travel multi-kilometer distances between remote locations multiple times per day amongst big-city traffic.

Ubering everywhere gets expensive, public transit is usually confusing and indeterminate and renting a car is another huge hassle + more $$$.

Rails World provided shuttles for some but I saw this as an opportunity to do it a simpler way and just walk everywhere.

Actually a win because:

  • Already enjoy walking, and I can walk fast
  • Saw Toronto up close - walked dozens of miles through various neighborhoods, and to the shore of Lake Ontario
  • Saved significant $ by skipping paid options
  • Got excellent exercise 4 days in a row!
  • Took the UP train (Union station to Toronto Pearson International Airport)

It was a great call. There were many other people walking all the major streets almost all day long.

No internet!?

Knowing I had two pair-coding sessions on Friday I spent the Thursday night reviewing my notes and planning. I found two blocked areas in my personal projects that I thought would be good 20-min tasks and went to sleep feeling ready.

The next morning, an hour before my first paring session, I lost the event’s Wi-Fi! It was connected but no data was flowing!?

No worries, right, I can use my phone’s network internet? Yes, but it happened that my provider throttled my international data usage down to 3G and it was crawling… What was I going to do?!

Actually a win because:

  1. It was a good ice breaker for the pairing session
  2. I was reminded how vital having a reliable source of fast personal internet can be! In the process of reviewing options
  3. I got paired with a gracious dev that knew something about it so we started troubleshooting and he even let me tether to his device so we could continue the session

Fails that were actually wins

shopify_app gem

I failed to resolve my confusion around the shopify_app gem.

One of my goals is to get a vanilla Rails app working as a Shopify app. Shopify created this gem for us but it appears it has recently become incompatible with Shopify’s new and recommended “managed installation”, at least I believe that it has!? This is my next focus. To be continued…

Actually a win because:

  1. I learned why Remix and not Rails is the golden path to create a new Shopify app. Shopify owns Remix!
  2. I learned how to prepare better for a pair-coding session. If I had localized or described my situation with more specificity, was able to replicate it live, it may have led to more meaningful work and a breakthrough. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!
  3. I feel like I got solidly sent on a personal quest to figure this out, once and for all! To connect the dots for myself and others: How can we use Rails to write Shopify apps that work!?

Making it easier for Rails devs to build for the largest Rails app in the world seems like a commonsense connection that needs to happen! This will be a future post.

My dirty laptop screen!

Ew. Never before have I seen my laptop screen in the late-morning light of the Brick Works building. I work in a dark basement in Seattle where the sunshine is rare.

Fingerprints and a lot of who knows what.

Actually a win because I just ordered a laptop cleaning kit and won’t let anyone else see that mess again!

Learn from my fail-win and clean your laptop too before it’s too late!

Password exposed!

During a pairing session with Test Double, I repeatedly typed my admin password incorrectly in front of two devs after they repeatedly aided me by looking away, then I repeated to type it in plain command line text for them to see!! LOL.

How did that happen? The Test Double dev was asking me perform some actions. Specifically, more CLI code than I typically use. When the CLI prompted me for my password, I had assumed it was my Git password instead of my MacBook user’s password. FAIL.

Actually a win because:

  • they were kind about it.
  • I relearned how to reset my password, it’s re-secured, and I have better security habits going forward.

“It’s important to change your login password from time to time to protect your privacy.” Change the login password on Mac

Losses that were actually wins

Lost the idea that “solo traveling is not important”

Actually a win because being OK or even rejuvenated by being alone occasionally is good!

Putting on my own Oxygen mask before assisting others.

Lost the idea that I am not ready to build & contribute

Actually a win because now I have more perceived agency, and responsibility.

As evidence, I just reviewed an open PR for the Rails Guides, something I would have previously avoided.

I thought I could do a lot before, but now, almost everything feels withing reach.

More Wins

  • Met & talked with many friendly folks, including but not limited to:
    • Chris Oliver about his customer service approach
    • Andrea Fomera about her Rails World talk
    • Adam McCrea about Judoscale at the Clio party
    • Jeremy & Jess from IndieRails
    • Gannon McGibbon, a Shopify dev
    • Aaron Patterson about his closing keynote
    • Product Managers at Shopify
  • First time in Canada - Beaver tail and Poutine!
  • All the info & stories shared in the tracks and Lightning talks
  • Top quality merch & stickers acquired directly from Rails World and from sponsors. Did you know Rails has a new store?
  • Reignited my drive to build & ship (going from 0 to 1) and not just tinkering!

What an excellent conference and a wonderful experience! Thank you to all that made it happen!

What’s next?

Not sure yet but the answer is slowly forming yet perpetually receding.

Like you, I have a unique combination of perspectives, skills, and experiences. Some of mine are: football, exercise science, customer service, e-commerce, gardening, Rails, and creating bootstrapped businesses.

Also like you, I have a unique combination of “deficiencies”. I am not a Ruby expert. I am not a 10x developer yet, I am not a math genius, and I am “not” a lot more. That’s natural and we don’t need to be everything to do anything.

At this stage, I feel like the best way for me to contribute, my “calling”, may be to build a business with Ruby on Rails. Build the kind of apps that could become Rails World sponsors some day. Apps that can hire the best senior and early career Rails devs alike.

An app that could potentially IPO!?

I’m going to do this (build & market apps) regardless and I’m trying to do this first with Rails.

I’m testing what “they” say: that Rails is the best way for one person to test ideas fast and then to make them go far. This is the core benefit that originally motivated me to choose Rails when I started learning web development years ago. I knew what I was not choosing and why.

I’m going to build apps that can thrive after launch and long before going public.

Blue Drumlin will make beautiful and useful things with Ruby and Rails for real, live, grateful paying customers!

Growing something that can fill a niche, fulfill me and give back to the community that made it possible!