The Coder’s Journey: Community and Gatekeepers

Frodo couldn't have made it to Mount Doom without his allies and companions. But at each step of the way there were gatekeepers trying to keep him from achieving his goals. Gatekeeping in tech is no new thing. By creating and getting involved in positive communities, we create stronger teams.

With the rise of second career devs thanks to internet resources and coding bootcamps, coding is for everyone. But it’s only for everyone if we stop gatekeeping and allow community to prime us for success. Coming from a background in English, and learning to code when I had full-blown PTSD from a labor and delivery gone wrong, I found that not only did coding help me to overcome my PTSD, but it also gave me more resources than ever to solve my own problems. As I progressed in my bootcamp, I became involved in a number of coding communities, including Moms Can: Code, and found that both support for the personal journey along with the technical journey of coding, helped to ensure my growth as a developer. Gatekeeping isn’t just rejecting newbies, but it’s also not providing support for those with imposter syndrome, those coming back into the workplace after a gap in the resume for things like raising children, it’s rejecting people because you don’t feel like they fit into your “culture.” This talk will focus on community building and the strength it provides to teams and companies. It will give examples of how to build community, recognize gatekeeping, and create a positive atmosphere prime for positivity and growth.

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