When the pandemic hit, I wasn't able to go back to Japan, a trip I have been wanting to make again ever since I spent a year there at university. I missed my people and the wonderful nature in spring or fall and especially in Kyōto. So I picked up Bonsai as a hobby instead.

By now my Bonsai collection has grown to seven trees and to my surprise, developing and taking care of them has brought me inspiration for developing software.

In my talk I want to give you a very short introduction to Bonsai and talk about a few aspects of Bonsai philosophy that seem surprisingly applicable to software: How do software and Bonsai grow? How much control do we have there - and more.

I feel that those insights have changed my view on software and that I have found a different role for myself as a developer. What Bonsai have taught me has given me more peace in the middle of our hectic profession. My coaches later told me that I had, in fact, discovered the Growth Mindset. I hope that by telling you about my path, I can share it with you.

You should listen to my talk if
- you think that I am out of my mind
- this has piqued your interest in Bonsai
- you wonder if all of the stress in software development is necessary