The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source XO Ruby is hitting the road (Interview)
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Sep 3, 2025 Jim Remsik, a veteran in the Ruby universe, is organizing six XO Ruby conferences across the U.S. He shares nostalgic tales from the early days of Ruby and Rails, and insights from his extensive experience in event organizing. The conversation dives into challenges of making events more accessible and community-focused post-pandemic. Jim discusses innovative strategies for enhancing attendee experiences and emphasizes the importance of fostering connections within the Ruby community. All this while gearing up for an exciting 7500-mile road trip!
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Ruby Experiencing A Renaissance
- Jim sees a Ruby renaissance driven by Hotwire and unified codebases for web and mobile.
- He believes the earlier promise of Rails is resurfacing in new tooling and community energy.
From DotNet To Hashrocket And Back
- Jim describes joining Hashrocket after responding to a job post and moving cross-country to Florida.
- He stayed four years, returned to Wisconsin, and later used that experience to start local consultancies.
Design For Serendipity
- Prioritize in-person events because serendipitous conversations create opportunities you can't replicate online.
- Be intentional: plan spaces and activities that force introductions and hallway-track interactions.