If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by how much there is to learn in software—or frustrated that something just isn’t clicking—this talk is for you. In 40 minutes, I’ll share a practical framework for learning how to learn, developed through years of hands-on coding, mentoring, and formal teaching. You’ll walk away with a set of ideas and practices to help you get better at getting better—no matter where you are in your career.

Software development is more than just coding: it's really about how to solve problems that appear in a variety of shapes and forms.

We’ll start with a quick tour of 10 core learning principles, like “Context is Everything,” “Spike to Learn, Build to Remember,” and “The Spiral Staircase.” These aren’t buzzwords—they’re mental models that help you tackle unfamiliar codebases, debug faster, and retain what you study. Think of it as a way to organize your learning, so you spend less time spinning your wheels and more time leveling up.

Then we’ll dig into a few specific practices you can try right away—like “Tiny Steps” to reduce cognitive load and build confidence, or “Broken Code Puzzles” to sharpen your skills through play and failure. These techniques are lightweight but powerful, and they work whether you’re self-teaching a new gem or mentoring someone else.

This won’t be a lecture on neuroscience nor a random grab-bag of tips. It’s a coherent framework of ideas and examples that will help you learn more efficiently, stay curious, and grow sustainably in a field that never stops changing. You’ll leave with both high-level insight and concrete tools you can use immediately.

Especially at a time where AI clickbait can cause fear and uncertainty, this talk will instill confidence we remain in control of our own destiny as professional developers.