Pursuit Podcast

Learning a new skill can be a daunting task, with programming being especially tricky. But what can you do when most learning materials and tools aren't accessible to you? Blind backend developer Parham Doustdar joins us to talk about how he taught himself to program, the challenges he faced and his advice for other visually impaired developers. We also look at the ways educational resources and programming as a whole can be made more accessible, opening up technology to eager new learners and makers.

For people learning programming languages for the first time moving beyond in browser tutorials can be a major hurdle to success. Quincy Larson joins us to look at his free, open source learning platform FreeCodeCamp.org and talks us through the challenges he faced founding the project. We also look at common challenges to learners and how the tech industry can better support new coders.

As part of our series looking at working for yourself, the founder of WeddingLovely and publisher of the popular Hello Web Books series Tracy Osborn joins us to talk about balancing writing a book while working for yourself. Tracy talks us through the logistics of writing, publishing and marketing a book in detail while sharing how she balances running her own business alongside her writing.

Thinking about getting into freelancing and wondering what the long term impacts of working for yourself might be? Or perhaps you've been working for yourself for some time and want to see how your experiences stack up? Battle-scarred veteran freelancer Remy Sharp of Left Logic joins us to talk about the challenges of working for yourself long term. We'll look at isolation, avoidance and motivation, offering tips and tricks to help you do more.

One of the hardest parts of working for yourself can be moving on from an idea or project you love. This week, internationally renowned speaker and consultant Kim Crayton joins us to talk about her moves through several industries into technology, onto conference stages around the world and her most recent pivot into business skills consulting.

Want to start working for yourself but not sure how to fit it all into a workday? Or you're already working for yourself and want to better manage your busy schedule? Expert consultant, internationally recognized speaker and co-founder of Perch CMS Rachel Andrew joins us to talk about being busy, fitting it all in and work/life balance.

Ever wanted to quit your job and work for yourself, on projects of your choosing? International speaker, trainer, consultant and front end expert Sara Soueidan joins us to talk about the benefits and challenges of becoming a contractor. We'll look at contracting advice born of her experiences that you can apply to your escape from the rat race or just to learn more about tech contracting.

Ever wonder how to walk away from the open source project you've built, loved and maintained? John Resig, the creator of jQuery, joins us to talk about how to say goodbye. We'll look at what leaving your project feels like, how to do it in a healthy way and what moving on can bring to your life.

Dan Abramov a maintainer and of the popular React JavaScript library joins us to talk about the challenges and rewards of maintaining a popular open source project. He offers insights into the way the Facbook react team works to support React and respond to user needs, while offering you advice for your own large or small open source projects.

Love open source? Looking to break into the tech industry? Oracle's Vaishali Thakkar joins us to talk about how you can leverage your open source involvement to find work in the tech industry. We'll look at programs like Rails Girls Summer of Code and Outreachy that could be able to pay you as you upskill intro the industry alongside Vaishali's own professional journey.