Episode 154: Are You Techie Enough?
From Teaching Python by Sean Tibor and Kelly Paredes
March 3, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 154
About this episode
The episode explores the meaning of being 'techie' and emphasizes the importance of curiosity and persistence over traditional credentials.
What does it really mean to be "techie"? Sean, Kelly, and guest Amelia Hough-Ross dig into the labels we put on ourselves and others — and why curiosity and persistence matter more than credentials. From imposter syndrome to productive struggle, this episode redefines what it means to be technical in a rapidly changing world. Show Notes Wins of the Week Amelia: Getting both kids to all their activities this week — taekwondo, Chinese language classes, and a piano competition where her oldest did very well Kelly: Running a series of well-attended trainings at school, including a Canva AI session that drew 60 attendees across two campuses, with new audiences (kindergarten and first grade teachers) showing up for the first time Sean: Finally getting fiber internet installed at his house after over a decade of waiting — a major upgrade from cable with latency dropping from 20-30ms to 3ms, at half the cost Links & Resources Mentioned vBrownBag — Tech community show that Amelia is preparing to present at and Sean is scheduled for later in the year PyCon US 2025 — Pittsburgh, May 2025; Education Summit on Thursday, May 14 LEGO Mindstorms — Referenced in Amelia's story about building…
People in this episode
Guest: Amelia Hough-Ross
Topics covered
- techie
- imposter syndrome
- curiosity
- persistence
- credentials
Keywords
- labels
- productive struggle
- technical skills
- rapidly changing world
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Canva, fiber internet, Canva AI, LEGO Mindstorms
Books & works: Architects of Intelligence, How to Winter, Dancer in the Dark
Places: Pittsburgh, Denmark, US, PA, Tampa
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