Why you should think like a coder | Ruth Agbaji | TEDxFaurotPark

Key Concepts

• Creating opportunities from imperfect conditions
• Approaching life like a coder approaches a coding problem
• Identifying the root cause of problems
• Iterative problem-solving and learning from failures
• The power of asking for help and mentorship
• The ripple effect of creating opportunities

Overcoming Adversity and Seeking Education

The speaker recounts a harrowing experience of fleeing a mob in northern Nigeria, highlighting the limited opportunities and the presence of extremist groups like Boko Haram. She decided to change her life's trajectory and pursue education as a means of escape and advancement. In Nigeria, education is seen as a solution to many problems, including unemployment and finding a spouse. She resolved to pursue a master's degree in the US, but faced two significant challenges: lack of financial resources and an inadequate educational background for scholarship applications.

Learning to Code and Finding a Mentor

To overcome these challenges, the speaker decided to teach herself how to code, inspired by a conversation about ASP.NET. Despite slow internet speeds (320 kilobytes per second) and limited electricity (4 hours a day), she persevered. She encountered a significant coding error that she couldn't resolve on her own. She googled the problem and found a blog post by a man named Mr. Sarab Nandu. She reached out to him, explaining her vision and aspirations. Mr. Nandu agreed to mentor her for six months, providing feedback and guidance on her code.

The Impact of Mentorship and Achieving Academic Success

With Mr. Nandu's help, the speaker completed her coding project, secured a scholarship, and earned a master's degree in computer science from Tufts University in Massachusetts. She emphasizes that opportunities are not always given but can be created through determination and skill development.

Approaching Life Like a Coder

The speaker draws parallels between coding and life, suggesting that we can approach life's challenges like a coder approaches a coding problem.

Clarifying the Vision

Coders first define the goal of their program before writing code. Similarly, in life, we should clarify our vision and goals.

Identifying the Root Issue

Coders focus on the root cause of errors, which is often found at the bottom of the error log. We should dig deep to identify and solve the core issues in our lives, rather than just addressing symptoms.

Iterative Problem-Solving

Coders use an iterative approach, building software through cycles of coding, testing, debugging, and learning from failures. We should embrace this iterative process in our lives, learning from our mistakes and continuously improving.

Overcoming Interview Rejections and Landing a Dream Job

After graduating, the speaker aimed to work for a Big Four tech company (Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or Facebook). She faced numerous interview rejections, including a particularly disastrous interview at Google. She emphasizes the importance of learning from failures. After each interview, she would reattempt the questions and learn from her mistakes. This iterative process helped her improve her interviewing skills. She eventually landed a job at Microsoft while 37 weeks pregnant. She attributes her success to hard work and learning from her failures, not luck or statistics.

The Power of Asking for Help and Creating Opportunities

The speaker highlights the importance of asking for help, noting that many successful platforms are built by teams and communities. Mr. Nandu's mentorship opened doors for her and her family, who have since moved to North America and are building successful lives. After leaving her corporate career, she started an organization that teaches coding and robotics to children, passing on the gift she received from Mr. Nandu. This has impacted over 10,000 kids worldwide. She emphasizes the ripple effect of creating opportunities and the power of collective effort ("the power of we").

Call to Action

The speaker encourages viewers to:

1. Identify a problem or challenge.
2. Clarify their vision for their life.
3. Find the root issue and solve it.
4. Iteratively problem-solve and learn from failures.
5. Ask for help if needed.
6. Start taking action, even in imperfect conditions.

She concludes by reminding viewers that every great app started with a blank screen and a single line of code, and that they have the power to write or rewrite their first line today.

Key Quotes

• "Sometimes opportunities are given but sometimes opportunities have to be created."
• Mr. Sarab Nandu: "Yes I would help you."
• "Coding taught me that it is possible to create something out of nothing to take imperfect conditions and create opportunities out of them"
• "One word one sentence one hour one connection from someone who's been where you are trying to get to can completely change your life."
• "At the end of the day all the amazing apps and every world changing piece of software started with a blank screen and a single line of code."

Technical Terms and Concepts

• ASP.NET: A web application framework developed by Microsoft for building dynamic websites, web applications, and web services.
• Error Log: A record of errors or issues that occur during the execution of a program.
• Iterative Approach: A process of repeatedly refining a design or solution through cycles of testing and feedback.
• Debugging: The process of identifying and removing errors from a computer program.