Podcast edition! I was delighted to be able to join Brian and Erin on DevRel(ish) yesterday to talk about remote work. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the live format and they were exceptional hosts. It almost feels like I enjoyed the experience a bit too much, and the hour flew by. I found myself reflecting on the conversation and adding up all the extra things I wish I had said. Instead of spiraling over this, I thought it could be productive to put them in a post.

I’ve worked remotely for over a decade. It started out of family-related necessity and has continued for similar reasons, though the specifics have changed. It did not come naturally to me, quite the opposite in fact, and it would not be my preferred way of working if my circumstances were different. I am much more rejuvenated by in-person meetings and friendships. Above all else, working remotely has been incredibly isolating and lonely.

A few months ago I set out to find the best handful of books around community building. I wasn’t able to find any reliable resources or lists around the topic, so I wanted to share what I have found to be especially helpful so far as I put together my notes on Crafting.Community.

I came across a thread on Reddit recently about small talk that had a fair share of potentially bad advice without essential additional clarity and insight. The word “small” here is definitely not in reference to its significance—it’s an incredibly powerful first and necessary step to establishing deeper, more impactful relationships. Honestly, though, I think there is a place for small talk that stays small, too. These interactions can bring so much joy to each day depending on your ultimate goals.

Recently, I realized that I have been doing some of my favorite and most important work in founding, designing, running, and growing communities, but I did not properly capture this in my portfolio. I set aside a couple hours today to correct this, even though they are projects that feel impossible to summarize within a single page each.

DjangoCon US 2024 has officially kicked off again in Durham, NC. This is one of the best, most welcoming communities out there and I’ve been lucky enough to work with the organizing team since 2018—that’s a lot of cartoon crabs. The only exception was, of course, the initial COVID years.