New software languages, libraries, and platforms are released at an exhausting pace. Many—perhaps most—are just fruitless distractions that we will never grasp, like developer puppies chasing technology squirrels. How do you know which ones to pursue? How do you know which ones will be beneficial? The truth is it doesn't matter. And I'll tell you why.

Previously delivered as the keynote of Code PaLOUsa, (Louisville, United States) and Prairie Dev Con (Winnipeg, Canada).