All right. Hi everybody. Welcome back to a brand new episode of the Layer Cast Snippet. I know you're all, um, chopping, chopping at the bits to hear what, what useless information I have to offer this time. All seven of you. I'm sorry. No, I got a new one the other day, all eight of you. Uh, so, okay, here's what I've been thinking about lately. Um, and actually on that note, I worry that the eight

Uh, so, okay, here's what I've been thinking about lately. Um, and actually on that note, I worry that the eight of you, um, maybe receive, and maybe this is me in my head, maybe receive the podcast as like, who are you to offer advice? And, uh, trust me, I very much agree with you. I have no clue what I'm talking about. Um, and yeah, I don't like that maybe the podcast is seen as like, here's my advice for this episode, because again, I have no clue what I'm talking about.

as like, here's my advice for this episode, because again, I have no clue what I'm talking about. But that's sort of what the podcast is, is actually things I think about that I want to verbalize. Is that a word? Does that work? Verbalize that I want to put into words, into a string of words, and then I just hit record, uh, to see if, if it resonates with anyone. But trust me, anything I say should be questioned, um, because it's probably wrong.

But trust me, anything I say should be questioned, um, because it's probably wrong. Okay? Anyways, uh, something I was thinking about, uh, and, and if this is advice, it's probably geared toward, um, those who are fresh out of school or just getting started in their career. Um, anyways, for the third time, I've been thinking about if I had been hired outta school and I didn't go to school for, for programming or computer science, uh,

and I didn't go to school for, for programming or computer science, uh, but if I'd been hired out of school at a company like, um, IBM, something like that, I don't know. I, I always bring up IBM I don't know, when I was a kid, that was just my, my idea of like the computer company, you know, um, IBM or Hewlett Packard. Uh, anyways, if, if I'd been hired at one of those companies straight out of school and my job was to write code 40 hours a week, you know,

of those companies straight out of school and my job was to write code 40 hours a week, you know, eight hours a day, I don't think I'd be writing code today. I don't think I would like it. And that was something I've come to realize actually in the last couple months, just thinking about it. Like, w would I be a programmer? Um, would I be better than I am now? Probably, but more importantly, would I have stuck with it? And I think the answer is no.

Probably, but more importantly, would I have stuck with it? And I think the answer is no. Now, this is problematic because I run a website, laracasts.com, by the way, uh, specifically, specifically, um, for teaching people how to become programmers and presumably get jobs. Uh, so what does it mean if that person who built the site, um, admits probably wouldn't he? He, he probably wouldn't wanna do that job. Um, it's probably not a great look,

He, he probably wouldn't wanna do that job. Um, it's probably not a great look, but I'm just telling you the truth. And here's the entire point of the podcast. Um, You are not limited to simply working at IBM or the equivalent of IBM. Um, what was the name of the business, uh, in office space? Was it intech? Right? You don't have to work at intech 40 hours a week and potentially hit your life, right?

You don't have to work at intech 40 hours a week and potentially hit your life, right? There's a way to find your fit, and that's probably gonna be the title. Uh, as I think of it, the title of this episode's gonna be Find Your Fit, or it's gonna be, um, I wouldn't code or, or something weird, um, that might make people click on it. I hate that. I have to think about what would make you click, but that's just a reality.

I hate that. I have to think about what would make you click, but that's just a reality. Um, of, of having a podcast and putting it on YouTube. It turns out that there are so many areas within the programming space that you could exist, that you're not just limited to one, uh, one little region, right? And, and I worry that people fresh out of school might get their first job at some kind of in a tech, and they very quickly might realize, oh,

of school might get their first job at some kind of in a tech, and they very quickly might realize, oh, I sit at a desk every day for eight or nine hours. All I do is write code. At the end of the day, my eyes hurt. I have a headache, I am mentally exhausted. And then when I get home, uh, if you have kids or family, I don't have the mental capacity or energy to be present for my children or for my, for my wife or for my husband. Um, that's a problem, right? And that's how I would feel.

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

or more managerial stuff, that would be the turnoff for them. And they might be thinking, oh, I don't wanna do any of that. All I wanna do is write code. That's the whole reason I got into this. But we forget the flip side is true as well. Uh, so any advice that I can conjure up in this episode is meant for those people who might think, oh, crap.

that I can conjure up in this episode is meant for those people who might think, oh, crap. I went to school for four years. I got my first job, and I don't like it. But it turns out, again, there's many things you could do. So if you look at a business like Lar, um, I don't even know if something like this could have existed 20 years ago. Uh, now every single person has a course, especially on YouTube.

Uh, now every single person has a course, especially on YouTube. Every single person has a course. Uh, but yeah, it's funny, even like 15 years ago, that wasn't the case. Uh, there were sites like linda.com and, um, you know, it's funny, it's like, I can't think of anything. I know there were more than linda.com, but I can't think of any.

I know there were more than linda.com, but I can't think of any. Um, and then came sites like Code School, uh, RailsCasts, uh, PluralSight, um, I'm gonna put Ricca in that mix, but that came a little bit after. But nonetheless, like these sites didn't exist before, and this, this avenue for having a job didn't exist. If you wanted to be a teacher, you could either try to write a book and that would take you two years of your life, or you could actually become a teacher, uh,

to write a book and that would take you two years of your life, or you could actually become a teacher, uh, at a traditional school. But now this is a pathway. You could make a living, learning how to do stuff, and then, uh, and then explaining it in such a way that others can learn how to do it. Um, but yeah, it, it, it doesn't mean that your workday is eight hours of writing code nonstop,

Um, but yeah, it, it, it doesn't mean that your workday is eight hours of writing code nonstop, um, accumulating a headache, right? So there's all these other areas where you, where you could exist, where you could find your fit. Or maybe if you're not the best programmer or you don't desire to be, uh, somewhere like project management would be a really good fit for you, right? Or like in my case, you might find, yes,

really good fit for you, right? Or like in my case, you might find, yes, I do enjoy programming, but there's very much a hard limit to it. There is a a point of no return, uh, where you just can't do anymore. You wanna blow your brains out. And for me, again, it's not eight hours into the day, it's four hours into the day where I need to do something else.

it's four hours into the day where I need to do something else. So in these situations, if you feel that way, figure out if you could run your own business. Is there some pathway for you to be in charge of your, um, career? Could be some kind of educational thing like I do. It could be some kind of product that you sell and build. It could be like a service. Maybe you even do some kind of like a contractor

It could be like a service. Maybe you even do some kind of like a contractor as a service or freelancer for hire, but you charge a a subscription fee for that luxury. Uh, a lot of people are doing that now. Um, there might be a way you could do that. And so here's what happens though. The moment you have your own business, by definition, you have to run the business, which means no, you're, you're not programming eight hours a day.

you have to run the business, which means no, you're, you're not programming eight hours a day. I'm not programming eight hours a day. I program depending on the day. Um, I write code anywhere from two to five hours a day. Um, and the rest of that is putting on different hats. Uh, one day I have a marketing head on one day. Um, I'm working with content creators, so I'm, I'm, I'm commissioning a course from a particular person and I'm working with them, and I'm reviewing the audio video

I'm commissioning a course from a particular person and I'm working with them, and I'm reviewing the audio video to make sure it lines up with, uh, some of our guidelines. Uh, other days I'm dealing with an accountant. Other days, um, I'm working with our designer to figure out, uh, a, a new feature, and I really enjoy that. But most of all, what I enjoy is that my day and my weeks are divided into these little chapters. Whereas if I had worked at Hewlett Packard, uh, I don't, I don't know if it would be divided in that way.

Whereas if I had worked at Hewlett Packard, uh, I don't, I don't know if it would be divided in that way. And again, if you disagree, no judgment, of course, that's the entire point of all of this, figuring out what your fit is. And yeah, maybe it just turns out this whole video, this whole podcast is irrelevant to you because your fit is buckling down. Does that make sense? Buckling down and writing code 40 hours a week.

Does that make sense? Buckling down and writing code 40 hours a week. But yeah, for others, don't feel like if you're overwhelmed and you're thinking, oh, I spent all this money at college and I hate my job, should I quit? Maybe, or maybe you just have to tweak the fit a little bit. I really love knowing, like, I'll give you an example. So today is Wednesday. Uh, what did I do on Monday? Yeah, I didn't write any code on Monday. Uh, I don't think, maybe a little bit,

Yeah, I didn't write any code on Monday. Uh, I don't think, maybe a little bit, but most of my day was actually focused on business stuff. Sort of annoying things, uh, like gathering forms for our accountant, uh, going to the post office, checking the, the pl box for layer cast, dealing with some important stuff I had to do there that took way longer than I expected it to. Not much coding at all. Tuesday, almost all I did was write code.

Not much coding at all. Tuesday, almost all I did was write code. Uh, Adrian and I, Adrian and I are working on a kind of a subtle design refresh of the entire site, and we're just taking it in steps. We swapped out the font, we swapped out the logo, we refreshed the homepage banner. We tweaked all of the, the card, the series cards. Um, now we're updating the video page. And a lot of my day, and this is what's fun when you

Um, now we're updating the video page. And a lot of my day, and this is what's fun when you and your business is, even if it doesn't make financial sense, you can work on the things that excite you. Um, so we have, um, how could I describe this? So when you're on a course at RAAs, in the sidebar of a video, you'll see the episode list for the course. And, you know, each episode number is within like a little circle, right? And what we do is there's a little line that wraps around

like a little circle, right? And what we do is there's a little line that wraps around that circle, and it indicates the completion rates, um, for the video. So for example, if you've watched, uh, half of a video, then that line starts at the top and it wraps around to the bottom to indicate 50%, right? A standard kind of a radial, radial progress bar or something like that. Um, and we use a little JavaScript library for that,

radial progress bar or something like that. Um, and we use a little JavaScript library for that, and I kind of hate it, uh, 'cause I have to like run this code for every single episode number and it just feels gross. And as always with this stuff, it makes the styling like weird little things that shouldn't be difficult, end up being harder. And I didn't wanna do that. So I took two hours and I figured out how can I do this with only CSS?

And I didn't wanna do that. So I took two hours and I figured out how can I do this with only CSS? And it turns out there's a, uh, there's a kind of CSS gradient that I didn't know about. Uh, and you know what? I can't even, I can't even tell you what it is right now. Do I go look at it right now? Um, let's see, circular. You don't care about a conic gradient. Have you ever heard of that background, conic-gradient?

Have you ever heard of that Theas background, colon connic gradient. And basically what that is, is, and the designers are like, yes, of course we know what that is, Jeff, you idiot. But I didn't know what it was. Um, it's not a radial gradient. It's like exactly what you want, where you could have color here, color here, color here, almost like, um, uh, like a clock.

where you could have color here, color here, color here, almost like, um, uh, like a clock. And so I figured out, ooh, I could, I, I could design your progress in such a way that it fills up only until that point, and then I can cover it up with another. It doesn't matter, right? The whole point is I got to spend a couple hours solving this little problem that allowed me to remove a bunch of JavaScript. And that was a really fun day for me today. Uh, I haven't written any code yet,

And that was a really fun day for me today. Uh, I haven't written any code yet, and it's almost 12 o'clock. I am being a content creator recording this stupid video for all eight of you. The entire point is find your fit just because, or if, um, it turns out that programming is not for you and you are experiencing headaches, like, I have this thing, my wife got me, it's so high tech, but it's really cool. You put it over your head and it, it vibrates.

my wife got me, it's so high tech, but it's really cool. You put it over your head and it, it vibrates and massages, uh, your temples and it plays nice music. It's actually really cool. It's called a Thera Body. She got it for me, uh, for Valentine's Day, but she got it because I have so many headaches when I have these long workdays and I even have, uh, these things in place where I have to turn down the brightness or tweak the tone so that I don't get these headaches right? And those are especially on very long programming specific,

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

Okay? I'm going and repeat. I always go and repeat. I don't know what I'm doing. Um, this is the lyric has snippet. Thank you to all eight of you for watching. Uh, I will see you next time. Bye.