Observy McObservface Episode 13: Donkeys and Coffee Cats–Driving Community and Open Source with Kat Cosgrove

In a discussion on the Observy McObservface podcast, Kat Cosgrove, a developer advocate at JFrog, shared her experiences working on firmware updates for self-driving cars and emphasized the importance of accessible documentation and community involvement in open-source projects. She described her work on Donkey Cars, a project that creates miniature self-driving vehicles using Raspberry Pi technology, and explained the process of using machine learning to train these cars to navigate tracks independently. Cosgrove highlighted the need for clear documentation free of jargon to make technology more accessible, especially for beginners, and advised against using terms like "easy" that can discourage learners. She encouraged new developers to ask questions and seek mentorship, stressing the value of inclusive and supportive communities. The conversation also touched on the challenges of maintaining work-life balance, particularly during the pandemic, and the myth of the 10x engineer, advocating for a more sustainable and collaborative approach to software development.