We identify ourselves as geeks. We're language geeks, data geeks, process geeks, UI geeks… geek everything. It's our strength. It keeps us together. But is there a downside? Is it all good, or does geek also come with some disadvantages? This presentation explores the good, the bad, and the not-so-great of "geek". With a smattering of psychology and sociology thrown in for good measure, it summarizes twenty-five years of observation and self-observation of the software geek. And ultimately, it urges a more critical perspective and a re-consideration of our commiseration around the geek identity.
Scott Bellware is a relentless pursuer of root causes and an asker of inconvenient and untouchable questions. Scott is an avid student of the effect of software design on productivity, and the application of the Toyota Way (a.k.a. Lean) to software development. He has a track record of challenging entrenched ideas and of clarifying esoteric ones for a broader audience. Scott has been up to his elbows in all aspects software development for over thirty years.