The grass isn't greener, it's complicated

Improving our skills requires tremendous amounts of learning. A brief loss of focus as technology advances can require massive effort to catch up. To accelerate learning, we evangelize about tools and technologies we're passionate about, leading to a walled garden. The result, counter to our efforts, is discovering the world has forgotten you. Or have you forgotten the world?

Adam recently broadened his horizons outside of PHP and made some enlightening discoveries. As he transitioned from advanced mentor to apprentice beginner, he got crushed. He appeared to be very far behind, and maybe not even a programmer at all. Meanwhile, PHP had become the butt of every joke. However, his persistence paid off, and there's much more to the story.

The speaker will share his winding career path through various communities and technology stacks. Then, share how you can avoid learning the wrong things, prevent your chosen tech stack from being dismissed by the world, and some steps toward being more open-minded about your craft.