Self-doubt. A feeling most of us are probably familiar with. And how can we not doubt yourself? We live in a globally connected world. A world in which we can access the knowledge of millions with a flick of a finger. Every minute more than 300 hours of video are being uploaded to YouTube. Wikipedia has around 5.5 million english articles alone and 45.5 million in total. StackOverflow - our all saviour - has approximately 16 million questions and 25 million answers.
All of this represents a huge amount of knowledge - except for some YouTube videos maybe. This readily available well of wisdom is enticing and simultaneously disheartening because it begs the question:
What do my contributions matter? Can I contribute at all? I know nothing of significance …
This sentiment is all too common in the tech industry. We talk about Rockstar Developers and Code Ninjas, and celebrate the broad knowledge and skills these individuals possess. We search for solutions to problems on the web and encounter knowledgeable people everywhere. People who seem to have all the answers. How can we not question our own significance?
In this talk I try to show you a way out of this frame of mind. I’ll take you on a journey through my own struggles, doubts and fears and how I managed to tame them. We will discuss ways to become aware of all the things you already know. How you can focus on the future and avoid dwelling on the past. And that you, as a person, are more than the sum of things you know.
Recording
