Hey everybody. Welcome to the lar Cast snippets. Um, it has been a while, but not due to a lack of topics or ideas. Uh, actually I see a bunch of them here as I review my, uh, my list. No, it's just due to everything else that's going on, uh, which, which usually ends up being the case for us, right? Uh, yeah, I'm looking over right now in my to-do app. I have a bunch of podcast ideas.

Uh, yeah, I'm looking over right now in my to-do app. I have a bunch of podcast ideas. So what happens is I'll be around town or it'll be late at night and bed, and I'll think about something and I'll say to myself, oh, I should write that down, because that would be a good thing to talk about on the podcast. And what's always funny, and I'm noticing that right now, is I will write three words

And what's always funny, and I'm noticing that right now, is I will write three words that I think will jog my memory when I come back to it. But often they are so vague that I have no clue what the good idea actually was. So for example, right here, I have a podcast. I write them literally as, um, to-do items in my, in my to-do list, podcast, colon fumble, What No idea what that, what that represents. But I do have a description here.

What No idea what that, what that represents. But I do have a description here. Talk about feeling bad, about stumbling through new features, realizing most people do the same, like a flashlight in the dark. You don't know where you're going until you make a map. And that is okay, all right, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and maybe there's something there. Uh, here's another idea. Podcast, colon boring option.

and maybe there's something there. Uh, here's another idea. Podcast, colon boring option. Yeah, actually I know what this one is and I agree with it. When in doubt, the boring choice is usually the right one. Yeah. When you're trying to figure out what path to go, what item to buy, um, what feature to work on, sometimes the flashy one, the fancy one, the one that will get the most responses, the shiniest one, um, is the wrong choice. Um, sometimes you want to pick the boring option.

um, is the wrong choice. Um, sometimes you want to pick the boring option. Sometimes the boring option is the right option. Uh, and I agree with that. It works for everything too. It works for your career, for programming, for the purchases you make. Should you buy the fancy flashy car or should you buy the Honda that's gonna go 300,000 miles? Well, unless money is no object to you, you should buy a Honda most of the time.

Well, unless money is no object to you, you should buy a Honda most of the time. Uh, even though it's the boring option sometimes that's the way to go, right? Uh, what else do we have here? Podcast Colon, let's make that not a thing. So what is that reference? Let's make that not a thing. I think that was my thinking there was finding things in your code base. And the thing is, like something annoying,

things in your code base. And the thing is, like something annoying, something you always have to deal with, something that isn't clear. Uh, something that you every time have to return to it, um, to figure out how it works. Let's make that not a thing would be make whatever changes you need to in order for this thing that you're dealing with to not be a thing that's kind of cool. Um, but no, the one I'm gonna cover today is podcast colon,

to not be a thing that's kind of cool. Um, but no, the one I'm gonna cover today is podcast colon, big fish, small pond, Big fish in small pond, or small fish in big pond, which is better best is to travel between ponds. Clearly, I wrote this at 10 o'clock at night because I was thinking about ponds. Okay? Um, no, I know exactly what this is. Alright. You often notice in the programming world, um,

Okay? Um, no, I know exactly what this is. Alright. You often notice in the programming world, um, and you see this in social media or blog posts where people just exude this sense of, um, exude this sense of being, uh, kind of burnt out, worn out. And I was thinking about how like, sometimes it's because of overwork, right? It's because we've been cramming. I've been working 60 hour weeks and now every time I open my editor,

I've been working 60 hour weeks and now every time I open my editor, I just have no enthusiasm. I am burnt out. And that's one, and that's probably the majority of times. But I think there's also an element of burnout from just the constant exposure to brilliance. Um, and we get that because of social media, don't we? Anytime you open up that app, especially if you're in kind of a programming community, every single day,

Anytime you open up that app, especially if you're in kind of a programming community, every single day, you are exposed to people significantly smarter than you, uh, significantly more creative people who have higher IQs than you. Higher intellect hire every single thing. And it's such a double-edged sword, right? Um, from one point of view, it's like, well, you benefit from that. You are exposed to these people.

well, you benefit from that. You are exposed to these people who offer their knowledge for free. And isn't that an amazing thing? Because no matter what, it, it, uh, a rising tide lifts all boats, right? You will become smarter as a result of knowing these people. But then at the same time, it's hard because the internet has revealed to all of us that we are podcast colon small fishes in big ponds, right?

because the internet has revealed to all of us that we are podcast colon small fishes in big ponds, right? I just don't know if that's a good thing. When I was a kid before the internet back in the 1980s, um, of course internet wasn't a thing, really. More like the nineties. It's funny. I always think of the eighties as like my childhood. It really wasn't. The nineties was my childhood. Uh, the, in 1990, I was five years old, right? Or maybe four and a half. Um, so yeah,

Uh, the, in 1990, I was five years old, right? Or maybe four and a half. Um, so yeah, really it's the nineties. But because I have older siblings, I have a fondness for the eighties, um, in a way that I don't have for the nineties, which is interesting. Anyways, it doesn't matter. But yeah, at that point, long before the internet, you had the ability to be a big fish in a small pond. Um, you know, you could figure out

a big fish in a small pond. Um, you know, you could figure out what your thing was in school and you could become the best at it, right? So, so for me, as many know, like I was really into, you can't see this, but I got a guitar there, guitar there, guitar there, guitar there. I liked guitars. Uh, and I was really into it as a kid. And then throughout my twenties, I took like a 10 year break.

And then throughout my twenties, I took like a 10 year break. Um, actually, interestingly, I burnt out on that, and then I've recently come back to it in the last few years. But yeah, that was sort of my thing. And what was great about it is there wasn't that much competition in my school. So I was able to like, identify myself as the guitar guy, and I could be a big fish in a small pond.

So I was able to like, identify myself as the guitar guy, and I could be a big fish in a small pond. I was the best guitar player in my school, but of course, I wasn't the best guitar player everywhere. But I didn't know that. You don't know what you don't know, right? So in my mind, if I was the best in my school, I was probably in the top 25 in the country, right? I was in the top tier, um, in my mind at 12 years old. And of course, in reality, nothing could have been further

I was in the top tier, um, in my mind at 12 years old. And of course, in reality, nothing could have been further in from the truth, right? I probably wasn't in the top 50,000, but that's sort of what I'm referring to. It's like, it's nice to have these small ponds that can build up your confidence, right? It, it's, it's a way for you to figure out who you are. You can identify yourself, you can distinguish yourself from everyone else.

You can identify yourself, you can distinguish yourself from everyone else. And most kids do this, right? They figure out one little area that is their thing, and then they, they go deep into it. Right now, my son is like into karate, and that's his thing is discipline is, it's bizarre, and I think he's gonna burn out on it, but right now he's really into it. And he'll, he'll run

but right now he's really into it. And he'll, he'll run around the playground like he's doing laps, like he's karate kid or something. And I love it for my daughter. She's obsessed with ballet. For me, when I was young, I was obsessed with, um, guitar. And it is such a confidence booster. Uh, I would recommend it to anyone. But again, the problem is right now, that small pond no longer exists at all

But again, the problem is right now, that small pond no longer exists at all because you have the internet and because of social media, and this is actually another reason why I think very much so, we should prevent our kids from accessing social media as long as humanly possible for this very reason, or at least this being one of the many reasons why, um, we should do that in my opinion. But yeah, it's just like as soon as they get on YouTube, as soon as they are on social media,

But yeah, it's just like as soon as they get on YouTube, as soon as they are on social media, they will in instantly be exposed to thousands upon thousands, upon thousands upon thousands, upon thousands of, uh, people their age who are so much better than them in every possible way. And it's a confidence killer in that in, uh, at that point. And I don't know how we deal with that, because again, it it, it always ends up being a double-edged sword.

because again, it it, it always ends up being a double-edged sword. If I were getting into guitar now as a 12-year-old, in some ways, I could go on YouTube and social media and I would see people so much better than me, but also they would make me better as a result, right? Um, I would have access to so many things that I didn't have access to back in the nineties. Back in the nineties, if you wanted to learn how to play, um, a guitar solo, you liked, you had to go

Back in the nineties, if you wanted to learn how to play, um, a guitar solo, you liked, you had to go to Guitar Center, you had to purchase a 38 99 Tablature book. Um, and then you'd bring it home and you would do your best to parse that tab into the solo. And, uh, back then solos were so fast. Sometimes it was very, very difficult to figure out how the tablature lined up with the solo, right? Uh, but now it's like you have, well first, now you can get

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

to see precisely what they're doing. It's really an amazing thing. And again, icing tide, uh, raise raises all boats. But again, you'll never, ever, ever be the big fish. But maybe one person is, and that one person is special, and that's great for them. But for the rest of us, uh, it's just not the case. Uh, we will never even be in the running for big fish. Yeah. Think about, think about it like this. I run a business about Laravel, basically teaching people

Think about, think about it like this. I run a business about Laravel, basically teaching people how to build applications with Laravel. And trust me, it's not lost on me that I am surrounded by people every time I read a blog post or go on Twitter or x, uh, I am surrounded by people whose intellect is higher than mine, whose creativity is greater than mine, whose, whose taste level is better than mine, whose IQ is bigger than mine, um, every single day.

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

the comparison, and sometimes it really does weigh heavily on me. I'm trying to find my own path and define my own success, but when I look at others, it can be overwhelming.

And, uh, what does that do for our psyche? And I don't have an answer for you. Sometimes I like to come up with some kind of, um, some kind of conclusion, some kind of happy ending, and I just don't know what it is. Um, here in my, in my task list where I thought up the idea best is to travel between ponds. You need both. Yeah. So my thinking there was, uh, it would be cool if we had ways to be the big fish in the small ponds for a little while, and then also expose yourself to being the small fish, um,

to be the big fish in the small ponds for a little while, and then also expose yourself to being the small fish, um, in the huge pond, right? You need both. You need big fish and small pond to build up your confidence. And then if you stay there, you will never expand, as we all know. So you need to be thrust into that huge ocean to, to realize how, how inferior you actually are. But you can't just have one or the other.

how, how inferior you actually are. But you can't just have one or the other. Uh, I don't think that's good for us. You need to experience both. But I don't know how to do that anymore other than doing your best to shield your kids from, and I don't even know if you should do that. Actually. I was gonna say shield your kids from YouTube and things like that.

Actually. I was gonna say shield your kids from YouTube and things like that. But then again, they benefit so greatly from it. And that is the hardest thing with the internet and social media, um, in general, especially for young people. It's like there are so many benefits. Uh, and, but also the downsides are so, um, extreme. And I guess we're, we're all figuring out how to deal with that right now, uh, as parents.

And I guess we're, we're all figuring out how to deal with that right now, uh, as parents. Alright, that's it for me. My name is Jeffrey Way. This is the Lyricist Snippet. I'll see you next time. Bye.