Exploring the Mind of a Content Creator — Bhumi Shah's Perspective on Learning and Sharing

In this episode of Ruby for All, host Andrew kicks things off with a warm welcome and well wishes to his absent co-host, Julie. Then he welcomes guest, Bhumi Shah, a self-taught web developer who transitioned from doing low-level embedded software for implantable medical devices.  She shares her journey of learning Ruby on Rails, her love for teaching, and her approach to learning as well.  Bhumi also talks about her ideas for creating accessible educational content, such as an audio-only technical content platform and a unique onboarding concept for junior developers joining a new company.  As the conversation wraps up, Andrew expresses his admiration for Bhumi’s insights, hoping that her story and ideas will motivate others to engage in content creation. Hit download now to hear more! 

[00:00:24] Bhumi details her self-taught journey into web development with Ruby on Rails and discusses her passion for teaching throughout her career and aims to pursue it more actively. 

[00:02:24] Bhumi shares her inspiration with teaching from Chris Oliver of GoRails and reflects on the importance of building a reputation and trust over time before monetizing content. She discusses her initial discomfort with identifying as a content creator and her journey towards embracing that aspect of her professional identity, and her current challenge with figuring out how to charge for her educational content. 

[00:04:13] Andrew comments on the coolness of being a content creator and his own struggle with this identity despite creating substantial content. He suggests Podia as a platform for hosting courses. 

[00:05:01] We hear what motivated Bhumi from Chris’s story as she tells us the importance of focusing on the beginning of one’s journey and the gradual process of building an audience and credibility. 

[00:06:31] Bhumi discuss the challenges and potential discouragement in charging for content. She feels that it’s too early and she needs people to first know and trust her. 

[00:08:33] Andrew reflects on setting realistic goals for course creation and the difficulties of publishing content. Bhumi shares her sporadic content creation history and her resolve to maintain consistency going forward. 

[00:12:18] Andrew asks Bhumi about her research preferences and prompts Bhumi to discuss her learning approach where she shares her philosophy on learning technical skills by aiming to become “friends” rather than “acquaintances” with technologies, using CSS as an example. 

[00:13:26] She explains her strategy for tackling new topics like Turbo and Hotwire, focusing on practical application and “just-in-time learning” to solve immediate problems and “follow-on learning” to deepen her understanding later. She also mentions engaging in “intentional learning” or “deliberate learning” through reading programming books and taking courses. 

[00:15:21] Andrew shifts the conversation to teaching and asks Bhumi what she enjoys in teaching. She finds joy in seeing the moment of understanding in others and sharing her rewarding experience with mentorship on the Indie Hackers platform.

[00:17:28] Andrew tells us he experiences joy when he sees other people experience joy which is why he mentors. He shares his own challenge of being naturally curious but not a deep learner, which affects his approach to teaching and sharing knowledge.  

[00:18:59] Bhumi asks Andrew about his perceived barriers to sharing content, prompting a discussion about perfectionism. Andrew describes his struggle with publishing content that meets his high standards. 

[00:23:36] Andrew asks Bhumi about her preferences for mediums, and she expresses her comfort with writing, particularly in her newsletter format, which excludes links to encourage focused reading. 

[00:29:52] Andrew reflects on the challenge of discussing code through audio and suggests a narrative approach to sharing technical content, focusing on problem-solving stories which can engage listeners. He references Darknet Diaries Podcast as an example of combining narrative storytelling with technical details, which helps listeners learn through context. 

[00:27:09] Bhumi proposes a podcast idea centered around debugging stories which Andrew expands on, and she shares another idea related to onboarding junior developers, suggesting that companies should hire a contractor as a full-time mentor to support new developers during their initial months. Andrew praises her idea!

[00:31:37] Andrew acknowledges the cost concern but emphasizes the long-term benefits of junior developers learning effective problem-solving. Bhumi highlights the importance of teaching developers how to teach themselves and become self-sufficient.

[00:32:30] As a