Jean-Nicholas Hould On Data Science

Always Wear your White Belt

"As a rule, each step should have a feeling of entrance. This is beginner’s mind -the state of becoming.“ - Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

4 weeks into it

It’s already been an intensive four weeks since I started learning to program. Four weeks since I dropped everything to move to Chicago and attend The Starter League. These four weeks have been extremely challenging, and have pushed me to my limits. I have learned a lot of new things, from general programming concepts and design patterns to Ruby and Rails.

Not only I am learning a lot about programming and product development, but moving to the States has taken me out of my comfort zone. From pitching startup ideas at different hackathons in front of more than a hundred of people, to leading different technical projects and networking with Chicago’s best and brightest entrepreneurs and VC’s. I feel like I’ve been firehosed with knowledge both on the technical and business side.

A long journey

Although I am learning a great deal so far, I also know that I am at the beginning of a long journey. Talking with different software craftsmen, I realize that the knowledge I am gaining is only the tip of the iceberg. I am a still a beginner, I still have a long way to go.

While this would discourage some people, I feel more energized than ever. My perspective on this craft is still fresh and my passion strong. I am still wearing my white belt.

The title and quote were inspired by Dave Hoover’s Apprenticeship Patterns