When you think about Oktoberfest what comes to mind? For me it’s drunken good times, pumpkin craft beers and girls in cloggers with pigtails. Don’t judge I’m just being honest.
Can Software Developers really learn anything from a festival?
I would say yes!
I’m here in the Eugene, OR a place that’s exploding with local craft beers. So Oktoberfest fits in nicely here. It got me thinking about takeaways Programmers can pull from the festival.
Today I’m going to give four examples of things Software Developers can learn from Oktoberfest.
1: You Have To Be Consistent
Oktoberfest is celebrating its 183rd festival this October. For over a century, Munich has hosted this beloved event, making it a cornerstone of German tradition.
Follow suit and stay consistent with your estimates and coding output. You need to meet your deadlines whether you’re working for yourself or a company. People are expecting and looking forward to the code that you create. Well that’s the goal anyways.
Don’t let others down, keep your word and do what you say you’re going to do. Producing consistently is a great way to stand out in a positive way.
2: Embrace Your Uniqueness
What nuances are unique to you? It could be something as simple as wearing a company branded clothing every Wednesday and call it Work Shirt Wednesday. Yes that’s something I do personally, and it just might catch on.
Oktoberfest is known globally for its lederhosen and traditional German garb. Find out what makes your show special and emphasize it.
If you’re having a hard time thinking of what it is that makes you unique, it’s never too late to incorporate something new!
If all else fails try Work Shirt Wednesdays. See told you it might still catch on.
3. Give the People What They Want
What type of problems do people typically come to you to solve?
Figure out the types of things you’re good at working handling, and try to do more of that. A good way to find this is look through a recent resume and think about previous work.
That might help bring up memories of things you liked. Another way to figure out what people want is to ask others what they think you’re good at.
Each year, thousands of tourists flock to Munich’s Oktoberfest for adult beverages and good food. They’re giving people what they want.
4. Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
With the amount of energy and effort that go into writing great software, it can be easy to give into stress and forget why you started in the first place.
As is true with one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world, don’t forget to have fun along the way!
Cheers!
I feel that you can learn something from anything or anyone. For another example checkout this post about Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What are some of your favorite festivals or events? Let me know in the comments below.