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I probably have the least PSF-y experience of all candidates applying for this position. I’ve attended two Pycon and was really impressed with the passion and creativity of the Python developer community. Where else can you find a conference where developing a program to manipulate knitting patterns coexists alongside a just-in-time compiler and writing beautiful technical documenation? I won’t say I fell in love with the Python community but I’ve come to respect the diversity of the Python user base. In my day job, I’m also impressed (and sometimes struggle with) the myriad of ways developers use Python.

I realize that I’m still only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The Python Software Foundation’s challenge is to figure out how to give the next generation of Python developers a jump start. This is problematic if the non-Python user doesn’t know where their battery is or that they even have a battery. I faced the same problem in my current position, that is, how to challenge teams to think beyond the “normal” Python use cases. Companies with large Python code bases often forget how they initially grew from “hey, I’ve got this interesting idea” and “what is Python?”

*My goal in joining the PSF is to challenge the board to reach the next X0 million Python developers. *

I want to think about strategies such as crossovers with social platforms such as WeChat and Instagram as well as business platforms like LibreOffice (e.g. how can we tap into a highly engaged demographic to further increase Python awareness/adoption?) One demographic I feel is underrepresented in the Python community are the differently-abled. As a member of the PSF, I would like to champion programs that target neurodiversity (those with different learning styles like visual, aural, reading/writing, touch, etc). I would like work with the language teams to make Python easier to understand by folks who have difficulty with the current approaches to programming education.