Episode 56 - Aji Slater

Code and the Coding Coders who Code it

The journey from circus performer to respected software developer isn't a common career path, but Aji Slater navigates it with the same thoughtful precision he applies to code. As a former Ringling Brothers clown who now leads development teams at ThoughtBot, Aji brings a refreshingly unique perspective to technical challenges and community contribution.
Diving into his current work with a 12-13 year old Rails codebase, Aji shares his struggles with an Angular frontend implemented in non-standard ways. Despite his graphic design background and comfort with frontend development, the architectural decisions in this Angular implementation present significant challenges. His approach to overcoming these obstacles reveals a thoughtful balance between leveraging AI tools for understanding code while preserving the creative problem-solving aspects that make development enjoyable.
The conversation shifts to Aji's crowning achievement—his "Keynote of Keynotes" presentation at RailsConf that earned him the title of "RailsConf World Champion" from Aaron Patterson. This monumental project required watching 94 hours of past keynotes, tracking down information about 16 presentations that weren't recorded, and synthesizing two decades of Rails community wisdom. Through this archaeological deep-dive, Aji uncovered a powerful throughline in Rails history: the focus on shared solutions that make developers "stronger together than if we were working alone."
Aji's reflections on public speaking reveal surprising insights about performance anxiety. Despite having performed for crowds of 24,000 during his circus days, he still experiences nervousness before technical presentations—though of a different quality than most speakers face. His upcoming move to Scotland adds another fascinating dimension to his story, as he discovers the limitations of UK-focused resources that often neglect Scottish cultural specifics.
Whether discussing his frustrations with Keynote (the presentation software), sharing his thoughts on ADHD in technical work, or explaining why he named his dog after Jim Henson, Aji demonstrates the warmth, humor, and thoughtful perspective that have made him a beloved figure in the Ruby community. His story reminds us that the most interesting developers often bring their whole, multifaceted selves to their work.
Connect with Aji on Bluesky at doodlingdev and watch for his upcoming short technical talks on YouTube!

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1. Introduction to Aji Slater (00:00:00)

2. Working on Legacy Rails and Angular (00:01:38)

3. Using AI for Code Understanding (00:05:47)

4. The RailsConf Keynote of Keynotes (00:11:29)

5. Watching Every RailsConf Keynote Ever (00:18:03)

6. Technical vs. Non-Technical Keynotes (00:23:33)

7. From Circus Clown to Ruby Developer (00:32:48)

8. The Keynote Blocker: Presentation Software (00:43:58)

9. Moving to Scotland: A New Adventure (00:49:29)

10. ADHD in Tech and Episode Wrap-up (00:56:43)