4 women developers leading the way in Chicago tech

How did you get into tech?

I got my first computer when I was thirteen. I still don't know what compelled my father to buy my sisters and I a computer because he is generally very tight with his wallet. Thankfully he did because that's when I learned how to build websites through Geocities and Homestead. I like putting things together, but I didn't enjoy the design part. I don't think I have the artistic blood in me. That's why I chose Electrical Engineering as my major. I figured I like technology and the job prospect would be better. However, after spending three years getting an associate degree in Engineering, I changed my major to Computer Science. I'm very thankful I did. I feel like this is my true calling. I like building and breaking things. With programming, that is a lot safer. You can revert your code back easily. I don't think I can "revert" your changes with a TV.  After college, I worked for a financial company for almost three years before I decided I wanted a break, so I came here.

How have you kept your development skills relevant over the course of your career?

It's really hard to be relevant. I try to read and to build things I enjoy outside of work. When you build your own application, you're not afraid to break it because most likely you're the only one to use it. Hence it's a great opportunity to test out new theories or learn a new language.

What technologies are you excited about?

I'm really excited about the language Elixir. I haven't had time to build an application with it, but it has a lot of potential. I love Ruby and functional programming, and Elixir is just the right fit.

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Disa Johnson: Director of Strategy, Digital Services @435digital (Tribune Media Group) & Owner, Search Return

What recommendations do you have for developers looking to have a long-lasting career in the field like yours?

For me, it all boils down to filtering what you pay attention to and where you spend your energy. Pascal (French mathematician) wrote: “I made this very long, because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter.” People have a self-defeating sense of urgency and when I fall victim to it I forget to spend time editing and quieting noise. A distracting headline is terror on my time management. You want a *short* list of focus areas. Go deep on them.

The best example from my life I can attest to is the very minute I saw Dev Bootcamp was coming to Chicago, I immediately applied. I had seen Silicon Valley press about Dev bootcamp and decided it was such a perfect fit to reinvigorate my developer curiosity, I had the wish to attend orbiting around my head like Pluto. I only had a little exposure to the Rails framework up until that point, and software that needed sprucing up, so their coming to Chicago was serendipity.

What about SEO and search engines are still misunderstood today?

Just about everything is misunderstood. Either that, or I misunderstand everything. There are as many varying opinions out there as there are bloggers. I went deep on search engines early and over decades, so from my perspective I’ve seen a ton of success. Startups have to choose the right technology stack. Look at the HTML body tag of a Sencha app. Look at the body tag of a Meteor app. They’re both empty. The Meteor community has produced a terrific “spiderable" package.

How did you decide to become a developer? 
I was at Groupon before, and the saying is true ‘there’s no such thing as a non-technical start-up employee.’ I worked with the national team and receive a lot of unique requests to change the website, which I couldn’t always facilitate. So I started reading about Ruby and began teaching myself that on the side; it was the most magical thing in the world.  When I was about 12, I taught myself HTML and CSS, and have built and maintained websites on the side since.

I went to Dev Bootcamp because I believe in Dave Hoover, who runs the Chicago office.  It was a very intense environment for three months. I graduated in July and in August had a job.

Why Chicago? 
Chicago is unique. We have a thriving community here, and it’s not just a place – it’s a feeling. There are more resources here for me to meet other women developers and you don’t have a sense of competition in Chicago. Everyone is an ally.

What was it like to be the first female engineer at Instructure?

Now I’m one of three. It’s a little different since I’m not in the main office in Salt Lake City. There are seven of us in Chicago, and the two new women will be in Chicago…I’ve felt very supported at my company – not because I’m a woman, but because I’m an engineer.