What MMA taught me about working in tech

A presentation at DevOpsDays Cape Town 2019 in in Cape Town, South Africa by Daniel "phrawzty" Maher

At first it might not seem like mixed martial arts has much to do with working as professional computer person. As somebody who’s been hospitalised as a result of both, I assure you that there are interesting and enlightening parallels. Poor work-life balance? Weird sleeping schedules? Difficulties with nutrition and diet? Toxic hero culture? Check and check.

This is a personal and light-hearted talk about some fairly serious topics. Through the bringing together of two seemingly unrelated areas of interest, my goal is to get people to think critically about their work environments, their career goals, and above all, their responsibilities—both to others, and to themselves. It’s a mix of story-telling, practical examples, and the occasional mildly embarrassing anecdote.

Video

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