Kyle Simpson: How to Write a JavaScript Book, Degrees and Gatekeeping in Tech, New Startup Vella.ai

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Links

- Kyle on 𝕏: https://twitter.com/getifyx

- Vella.ai: https://vella.ai

- Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters

- Stately (sponsor): https://stately.ai

Takeaways

- The You Don't Know JS books have been successful, with over 300,000 copies sold across all editions.

- Kyle Simpson decided to move away from the traditional publishing model due to constraints and a desire for more creative freedom.

- Giving away the books for free on GitHub has not negatively impacted sales, and many readers have chosen to support Kyle by purchasing the books.

- Accessibility and making knowledge available to a wide audience are central to Kyle's approach.

- There are multiple pathways to publishing, including traditional publishing, self-publishing, and platforms like Leanpub. Publishing with O'Reilly provides a prestigious reputation and distribution, while self-publishing offers more control and potentially higher royalties.

- Get a Pub is Kyle's publishing assistance service for self-published authors, while Lean Pub is a platform for incremental publishing and distribution.

- Education should be seen as an ongoing journey, and college degrees may become less relevant over time as the industry evolves.

- Gatekeeping in the tech industry can be a barrier for those without formal education, but continuous learning and self-education can bridge the gap.

- Rejection can be a catalyst for personal growth and the pursuit of knowledge, leading to impactful contributions and a deeper understanding of a subject.

- Prioritizing knowledge and learning in the workplace is essential for personal and professional growth, and it's important to find a company that values continuous learning.

- Learning should be seen as a continuous process, with a focus on understanding and deepening knowledge rather than just acquiring new skills.

- Vella.ai is a venture that aims to prioritize user ownership of data and privacy, offering a local-first approach to AI and smart assistants.

In this episode, Kyle Simpson discusses his experience as the author of the You Don't Know JS books and his decision to move away from the traditional publishing model. He shares the status and future plans of the second edition of the books and the impact of giving away the content for free on GitHub. Kyle emphasizes the importance of accessibility and making knowledge available to as many people as possible.

Chapters

- 00:00 Kyle Simpson

- 04:59 Introduction and Background

- 05:59 You Don't Know JS Books

- 09:19 Status and Future Plans of the Second Edition

- 10:13 Published Books in the Second Edition

- 11:40 Books That May Not Be Written

- 13:44 Authoring Experience and Constraints

- 18:20 Giving Away the Book for Free on GitHub

- 29:26 Accessibility and Publishing Dreams

- 31:01 Pathways to Publishing

- 39:44 Publishing with O'Reilly and Self-Publishing

- 41:02 Get a Pub and Lean Pub

- 47:46 Education, Gatekeeping, and Learning

- 50:35 The Role of College and Continuous Learning

- 58:43 Kyle's Rejection from Twitter and the You Don't Know JS Series

- 01:11:45 Prioritizing Knowledge and Learning in the Workplace

- 01:12:15 Becoming Less Employable and Unexpected Challenges

- 01:13:57 The Misunderstanding of Tejas' Contract

- 01:15:12 The Value of Specialization and Experience

- 01:17:54 Learning as a Living Standard

- 01:22:14 The Shift in Valuing Experience in Engineering

- 01:25:16 The Dog Wagging the Tail in Tech

- 01:28:00 Kyle's Venture: Vela.ai

- 01:35:45 The Mission of Vela.ai

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