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Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Ted M. Young from the San Francisco Bay Area about all things Java and test driven development. Ted streams his coding sessions and builds community around his passion for excellence in software development. His first JavaOne was the first JavaOne! And he's been coding in Java ever since. His mantra is to "reduce the suffering and increase the joy of software development" and he's made Java his career. Ted also deeply appreciates the JVM: "It's one of the wonders of the software world." Can't beat that. Ted M. Young https://x.com/jitterted https://bsky.app/profile/ted.dev Duke's Corner https://bsky.app/profile/dukescorner.bsky.social https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris
Suppose you believed that the ecological/embodied cognitive scientists of last episode had a better grasp on cognition than does our habitual position that the brain is a computer, passively perceiving the environment, then directing the body to perform steps in calculated plans. If so, technical practices like test-driven design, refactoring in response to "code smells," and the early-this-century fad for physical 3x5 cards might make more sense. I explain how. I also sketch how people might use such ideas when designing their workplace and workflow. Books I drew uponAndy Clark, Being There: Putting Brain, Body, and World Together Again, 1997Alva Noë, Action in Perception, 2005Also mentionedGary Klein, Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, 1998I mentioned a session of the Simple Design and Test conference.The sociology book I contributed to: The Mangle in Practice: Science, Society, and Becoming, 2009, edited by Andrew Pickering and Keith Guzik. My chapter, "A Manglish Way of Working: Agile Software Development", is inexplicably available without a paywall.The MIT AI Lab Jargon FileI believe the original publication about CRC cards is Kent Beck and Ward Cunningham, "A laboratory for teaching object oriented thinking", 1989. I also believe the first book-type description was in Rebecca Wirfs-Brock et. al., Designing Object-Oriented Software, 1990. The idea of "flow" was first popularized in Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's 1990 Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. The idea of the hedgehog and the fox was popularized by Isaiah Berlin in his 1953 book The Hedgehog and the Fox (a wikipedia link).The original developer of the Pomodoro technique describes it here. There was a book about it, but Goodreads has been sufficiently enshittified that I can't find it. Perhaps you might be interested in Reduce PTSD and Depression Symptoms in 21 Days Using the Pomodoro Method instead? Because Goodreads prefers that.The Boy Who Cried World (wikipedia)CreditsI was helped by Steve Doubleday, Ron Jeffries, and Ted M. Young. I took the picture of Dawn in the tango close embrace.
Ever suffered through a traditional training session? What about it made it painful? On the other hand, ever came out a learning session refreshed and ready to apply new skills? What was the game changer that really elevated the session? Join Chris and Austin as they have a great time with Ted M. Young discussing traditional training vs. learning ensembles. Ted shares his journey through many different styles of training including his recent remote discoveries leading to learning with faster feedback and better results. Then they jump into the world of Hexagonal Architecture and Outside-In TDD. They discuss tips and tricks on not only how to teach these things but also to apply them in real production code. FYI: Video and show notes to be posted here in the next day or so.
What is hexagonal architecture? Learn how to make your code more testable.
In this episode, Richard interviews Ted M. Young, better known in the software development community as Jitter Ted. Ted is a software industry veteran with decades of experience working with companies like Apple, Google, and eBay. Ted is the principal Java trainer and coding coach at Spiral Learning, where he applies the science of learning to speed up his clients' adoption of new knowledge. He tells us how a passion for learning brings fun and joy to any team. When you finish listening to the episode, connect with Ted on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jitterted?lang and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedmyoung/, and visit his website at https://www.tedmyoung.com. You can read the full transcript of the episode at https://kasperowski.com/podcast-55-ted-m-young/ .
01:20 - Ted’s Superpower: Translating things for people to understand better. 02:49 - Coding on a Live Stream * Curiosity is Useful and Dangerous * Comparing Coding to Puzzles 07:13 - Research is a Drug * Finding Answers is Gratifying * Current Reading Infects Daily Thought * Anders Ericsson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Anders_Ericsson) 10:45 - Connecting the Academic Idea of Expertise to Everyday Context * Worked Examples (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worked-example_effect) * Memory Limits * Gaining a Solid Foundation for Training Purposes * The Path of Decision-making 16:50 - Code Reviews * Learning About Decisions Made Along the Way * Pair Programming and Mob Programming * Externalizing Your Thinking * Curse of Knowledge 19:41 - Recording Yourself Coding/Learning Something New * Gaining Empathy * Improving Documentation and Communication 21:56 - Live Streaming as an Introvert * What Other People Get Out of It * Seeing People Struggle and Being Able to Help * We All Get Lost * Building Community * Being Comfortable Showing Frustration 29:41 - The Difference Between Training and Live Coding * Suz Hinton (https://medium.com/@suzhinton) * Accountability in Live Coding * Privilege 35:35 - Applying Research to TDD Teaching Technique * James Shore (https://twitter.com/jamesshore?lang=en) * The Thinking Part and the Predictive Aspect * It’s Not About the Test Failing, It’s About Validating Your Mental Model * Retrieval Practice * Formative and Summative Assessments (https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html) * Spaced Repetition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition) * AnkiApp (https://www.ankiapp.com) * The Purpose of Patterns 48:27 - Human Learning * Stop Teaching People What They Know and Find Out What They Don’t Know Reflections: Jamey: ‘Predictions’ in TDD - Having more succinct language for things in your head strengthens understanding. Artemis: The concept of strengthening and muscle. If we can work deliberately on strengthening these muscles then in the moments of our everyday work we can improve the quality of our day to day decisions. Ted: An aspect of expertise is you start connecting more things. We have to find a place for the ‘why.’ This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep (https://twitter.com/therubyrep) of DevReps, LLC (http://www.devreps.com/). To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode) To make a one-time donation so that we can continue to bring you more content and transcripts like this, please do so at paypal.me/devreps (https://www.paypal.me/devreps). You will also get an invitation to our Slack community this way as well. Amazon links may be affiliate links, which means you’re supporting the show when you purchase our recommendations. Thanks! Special Guest: Ted M. Young.
Ted first took us to his very first lines of code, on a TRS-80, his first programs in Applesoft Basic and slowly took us all the way to his first commercial lines of code and how he slowly started making a living out of writing software. He then described how Java entered (and rocked) his life. We discussed eXtreme Programming, teaching, coaching and solving problems. We finally touched on enabling people and moving them a notch.Ted M. Young has been creating software and training developers for several decades. In the 1990s he traveled the world as a Java trainer, consultant, and speaker. In the 2000s, Ted led eXtreme Programming projects for the government and at eBay. He went on to introduce lean and agile concepts at Google, Guidewire Software, and Apple. In 2017, Ted came full circle and is once again focused on creating better learning experiences through technical training and coaching, both in-person and online. He uses the science of how humans learn to design, create, and deliver Java training for those who code, and those who want to.Here are the links of the show:https://www.twitter.com/Jittertedhttps://www.tedmyoung.comhttps://www.twitch.tv/jittertedCreditsMusic Aye by Yung Kartz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.Your hostSoftware Developer‘s Journey is hosted and produced by Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, a crazy frenchman living in Germany who dedicated his life to helping others learn & grow. More about him at timbourguignon.fr.Want to be next?Do you know anyone who should be on the podcast? Do you want to be next? Drop me a line: info@devjourney.info or via Twitter @timothep.Gift the podcast a ratingPlease do me and your fellow listeners a favor by spreading the good word about this podcast. And please leave a rating (excellent of course) on the major podcasting platforms, this is the best way to increase the visibility of the podcast:Apple PodcastsStitcherGoogle PlayPatreonFinally, if you want to help produce the podcast, support me on Patreon. Every cent you pledge will help pay the hosting bills!Thanks!Support the show (http://bit.ly/2yBfySB)
GUEST BIO: My guest on today’s show has been creating software for several decades. He has trained developers around the world, led eXtreme programming projects for the US government and eBay, and introduced Lean and Agile concepts at Google, Guidewire Software and Apple. In 2017 he refocused on technical training and coaching, both in person and online. EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Phil’s guest on today’s show is Ted M Young. He started programming at the age of 13. As an adult, he became a software engineer, working for eBay, Google, the US government, Guidewire Software, and Apple. While working for them he led eXtreme programming projects and introduced Lean and Agile working practices. Ted’s passion is coaching and training. In 2017, he refocused on this aspect of his IT career and became a technical trainer, consultant, and coding coach. Today, he teaches online as well as in person. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (1.08) – You have been working in software for several decades now. During that time, are there any highlights that you still draw on? Ted explains that his father was into the stock market, in particular, the technical analysis side of things. At 13, Ted wrote a program to draw his father’s analytical charts. Eventually, that program got sold to Dow Jones, who was, at the time, selling software packages. (2.14) – I bet your father was pleased. Ted replies that he was. My working on his program and newsletter made things far easier for him. (3.07) – So, you've moved more into technical training and coaching. Why did you choose to go down that path? A friend got Ted involved in coaching. At the time, he had a fairly rudimentary understanding of Java but knew more than most people. So, when his friend asked him to do some Java training, he was a bit reticent to start with. But, decided to give it a go. This was despite the fact that, back then, he was still painfully shy. In an effort to address Ted’s shyness his father sent him on a public speaking course. It did not help much and was an awful experience. But, when he delivered the training, he actually did really well. Mostly because of what he had learned on the course. The fact he was still learning Java himself meant that he had an innate empathy for his students. He was able to explain things in a way a total beginner could follow. After that, he was in demand as a teacher and coach. But, in 2000, he stopped his training work. Instead, he focused on working for big corporations like eBay and Google. But, 4 or 5 years ago he got involved in an intern program. While doing that he realized that he really missed teaching and mentoring. Fortunately, not long after that, a friend told him about a great job at Apple. They were looking for a consultant who was also able to carry out internal training. The role was a perfect fit for Ted and the pay was good. He enjoyed the job so much that when he decided to go independent he carried on offering training. (7.04) – How is working as an independent going for you? For Ted, it was a tricky transition. At first, he did not spend much time actively selling his services. As a result, he did not always have enough work. But, now he is marketing himself and building his brand more, things are going well. (7.53) – Can you please share a unique career tip with the I.T. career audience? Ted’s advice is not to be afraid of moving company’s regularly. When you do that you learn faster and make more connections. A lot of the people he trains are graduates. Many of whom are working for large companies. Naturally, they ask him what they ask Ted for career advice. Things like how long should I stay here? Ted’s advice is for them to continue working with a big company for a while. This gives them the chance to get used to how large corporations work. Invaluable knowledge that they can use later in their career. After about 2 years, graduates need to move to another large company, which they should also aim to leave after a couple of years. This is the case even if they love what they are doing. The idea is to get 4 years of working for large firms on their resume, learn how large corporations operate and grow as a professional. With this foundation, it is easier to go on and do other things. Including working for a small company. Usually, when you take this approach, you can easily circle back and rejoin one of the big companies you previously worked for. This is also a relatively quick way to bump your salary up. Each switch will normally lead to you earning more. Saving some money at an early stage in your career is also a good idea. This gives you the freedom to say no to roles that are not a good fit for you. (9.32) – You mentioned the dynamics of working within a larger organization. Can you elaborate a little more on how this impacts your relationship with your team, co-workers and how you interact with the company? Ted starts by explaining that when you work for a big firm you have to rely on influence a bit more. You have to convince your managers as well as your team that your approach is the right one. The way you interface with other groups within the company is also more complex. You have to coordinate very closely with them. When you work for a larger firm you have to be very observant. You need to be able to quickly pick up on the fact something is not going well so that you can take steps to correct the issue before it works its way up the chain of command. (10.47) – Can you tell us about your worst career moment? And what you learned from that experience. That happened over 15 years ago when Ted was still working at eBay. At the time, the company was upgrading its website search facility. They had found a way to allow users to cut down the search results using product attributes. So, if someone wanted a digital camera that had a minimum of 4 megapixels the user would only be presented with products that met those criteria. Enabling people to find what they needed faster was key to improving sales. Now, most e-com sites have that facility. Fifteen years ago, it was a radical change. Initially, things went well, the new facility worked like a dream. Not perfect, but pretty good. But, for some reason, which Ted cannot fully remember, he wanted to change the way things were read and written from the database. At least for the work that was done internally. To achieve this they decided to use Java data objects, which was pretty new, at the time. Initially, the switch progressed quickly. They got about 70 to 80% through the library and project. At which point, things slowed. It began to feel like they were climbing a mountain. Despite working weekends, progress was slow and nobody could work out how much more work was to be done. It was impossible to tell when the task would be finished. Eventually, someone pulled the plug on the project. Ted was relieved, despite the fact that having a major project canceled was not a good situation to be in. This awful career moment taught Ted a lot about managing large changes. Now, if he had to do something similar, he would figure out a way to do it in stages. (16.22) – What was your best career moment? That happened not long after Ted joined Guidewire, in the late 2000s. In some of his previous roles, he had been using eXtreme programming and Agile techniques. Very quickly he realized that Guidewire would benefit from working in a similar way. So, he put that suggestion forward. His manager and the Dev manager were both keen to give it a try and let Ted take the lead in introducing Lean and Agile working techniques. A move that made a really positive difference to the way the teams worked. It felt great to be allowed to make a big change like that and even better to see it make such a positive difference. (18.40) – Can you tell us what excites you about the future of the IT industry and careers? When Ted started programming, information and support were both really hard to come by. Now, it does not matter what you need to know someone out there will have the information. Better still, they will want to share it with you and usually provide support. If you want to do something new it is surprisingly easy to find others who are able to help you to figure out how to do it. This is very exciting because now things progress at a much faster rate. (20.28) – So you feel the IT industry is more inclusive now? Ted explains that it is more than that. Now, you also have the critical mass needed to make things happen. (21.18) – What first attracted you to a career in IT? Ted always loved coding and problem-solving. The fact he could be paid well for doing it was a bonus. (22.22) – What is the best career advice you have ever received? Quite late in his career, someone said to Ted – “You should be a coach.” For Ted that was important advice, because it led to him doing work that he loves. (23.03) - Conversely, what is the worst career advice you've ever received? Oddly, it came from his father who advised him to work for a financial firm. In a way, it was sound advice. The pay was good, there were plenty of financial firms operating in his area and Ted’s work with his father meant that he already had a good understanding of the industry. But, Ted is glad he did not take that advice. He has done quite a bit of training and coaching for financial firms and knows that type of working environment is not for him. (23.51) – If you were to begin your IT career again, right now, what would you do? Ted says that he would probably challenge himself more. Instead of sidestepping things like working with databases and handling complex sequel he would face these things head on. In the end, digging deep into things you find hard, rather than finding ways around them, stands you in good stead. He also wishes he had learned C++ back in the day. (25.03) – Phil comments that it is hard to work out which language to learn. Ted agrees, but for him, it was more a case of taking the line of least resistance and relying too much on what he already knew. Today, he would periodically ask himself what he is avoiding. Then go out and find someone to help him to understand and work through those things. (25.33) – What objectives are you currently focusing on in your career? Ted wants to do more coaching, so that is one of his main focuses. But, he would also like to do more live stream coding. The fact that people can ask questions in live time makes it a very effective way to teach. It is good for others to see that people like him, who have been coding for decades, still have to look things up and can go down a rat hole. It helps them to realize that they are better than they think. To understand that even experienced professionals are still learning, as they go. (27.15) – What is the number one non-technical skill that has helped you the most in your IT career? Ted says that he has always been naturally good at coming up with checklists and processes that work. He finds that doing this helps him to work more efficiently and not miss anything important. The ability to systemize things has helped him in all sorts of ways, during his IT career. (28.27) - What do you do to keep your own IT career energized? Ted finds that live coding energizing. But, it is also tiring. Working, talking and explaining things for 3 straight hours can be mentally exhausting. But, it does give you a buzz. (29.16) - What do you do in your spare time away from technology? Ted is a distance runner. He lives in the Bay area, so he is always able to run in a beautiful environment, in a temperate climate. When he is running, he does not think about tech. He is not particularly competitive about his running. But, he does sort of compete with himself, which is why he tracks himself with his Apple watch. (30.58) – Phil asks Ted to share a final piece of career advice with the audience. Ted says that it is important to check for understanding. If you are teaching someone, try to get them to paraphrase what you have just explained to them. It is all too easy to lose someone who does not have the same level of familiarity with a subject as you do. His other piece of advice is not to be afraid to ask questions. You need to get past the awkwardness of doing that to be able to further your understanding. BEST MOMENTS: (5.25) TED – "When you're closer to the learning part, rather than being an expert, it makes it much easier to teach." (7.27) TED – "As an independent, you have to market and sell yourself." (15.41) TED – " Don’t bite off too much when you're completely in the dark about what's going on." (22.07) TED – "There's a certain joy in, especially for me today, sharing my knowledge." (25.21) TED – "Ask yourself what am I avoiding? What am I afraid of? Then find someone to help you to understand." CONTACT TED M. YOUNG: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jitterted LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedmyoung/ Website: https://tedmyoung.com
Guest: Ted Young @jitterted Full show notes are at https://developeronfire.com/podcast/episode-422-ted-m-young-diving-deep
Episode 30 of the Modern Agile Show features an interview with Ted M. Young, a veteran software practitioner, designer and instructor. Ted and I discuss the difference between using scaffolding and safety nets when changing code and what is means to program safely. We also discuss the need for awesome examples of great code from which people can learn, the idea of a “microlith” (a micro edition of a monolith) and we end with a discussion of viscosity in code and the importance of developing a sense of self awareness as a developer.
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