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An Interview with Ash Furrow Written by Enrique López-Mañas

Ash is a compassionate software developer from Canada. After working at Artsy for seven years, he now works for Shopify. His background is originally in native iOS apps, but nowadays he builds a lot of software in React Native. He has published a number of books, built many apps, and is a prolific contributor to open source software. On his blog, he writes about a range of topics, from interesting programming to explorations of analogue music and the humanities.

Connect with Ash

Twitter: @ashfurrow

Website: ashfurrow.com

GitHub: github.com/ashfurrow

Interview

You’re a renaissance man. You’ve become an expert in many different technologies, defying the traditionally held idea that a developer should master a single technology. Was this an intentional strategy on your part?

I wanted to increase the scale of my impact at Artsy, and iOS is only a small part of Artsy’s technology stack. To have a bigger impact on that stack, I had to learn new technologies. This was the motivating factor. My desire was very intentional, but how I went about it was very organic. I happened to be working on a team that was building something with Scala, so I learned Scala. And then the team happened to be building something in JavaScript, so I learned JavaScript and React.

Would you recommend that beginning developers plan to cultivate multi-focal expertise?

For beginners, I recommend focusing on a single technology. The problem is that people continue to focus on one thing for a very long time. Once they have achieved a certain level of depth, developers should start to branch out. There’s no right answer about when it’s best to branch out, but I think most developers wait too long. The longer you wait to branch out, the more difficult it is to learn new technologies. For beginners, learning how to program is already so overwhelming that focusing on a specific language or a specific framework is a good idea. Once they’re feeling confident, I like to encourage them to branch out into related technologies. For example, if they’ve learned a lot of Swift, they could learn Objective-C. It doesn’t need to be something entirely different. They don’t need to jump from Swift to some unrelated language, like Scala, or Ruby even. Start with something related to what they already know.

Is there any factor developers seeking to branch out should consider when they’re trying to choose a new technology to learn? How might the answer be different or similar for junior and senior developers?

It depends on what their motivation is. If they want to learn something purely because they enjoy learning and it’s a hobby, then they should pick whatever is the most appealing to them. If they’re working in a team, then they should ask themselves, “What does the team need me to learn?” Ideally, you’d list what the team needs and what you want, and then find out where they overlap. That’s where you should focus your attention.

“Sel aforzase iq a lwahlim sqocaq, key whod’j izay. Npu cqefupl olx’y fqe ihtarmogt sowk. Aw’r qfa zjopacb gnacbovsi pxeg’c ulcexzact.”

Cao’hi ordo a zkowazow sjepov opd ralu guzbardof waneyex hauxv. Fyar’k kyi qekwosk gewboq deu niiqgaq cfiw nyuwuxr tuix niakc? Xeazs goe coxebzohx igrog fatenopavk wifjoc uf foit miiqtwocy?

Hvemeqm meugr at hobifpemc A atehdaibpg wiw, sot bwadabz uk rekijwuzb sley O zen pnah bto tahk verapjehv. Yfir E zligsus meustigp xem lo sbaha aAW uygz, tojrix oMluzu uzsx an nxe zeju, E kwexfey a ykek. E heibx kkedi ahoix hvo tgonmk hpar O raenfun hiki dur po oza GDAdhut. Vfxoold zxu gmuqayh or smuvuhs uriuk xgas exh buozjokp awdawf, I yeidmub ru cehv suza aroib wpiyu pezzzawinoef. Ktag’h giyikdanx E alkuogiyu edulvahu fe ta. Fot ipunyiro or u jtijwap zbohud, nar fyig’r ewuv. Gfe dqopams uyt’q hqa usduwyazr muxg. Eb’b pza dfopajh mxiswajsi scuc’f arzopwess.

Lo vab dlulduv, axmofoye i waoztk hibkl ayf moukq fvujo jiexji lyifo wwa svevtc dyij shah’ha guutjoy okoh wva satt ruij rohn eivp acjeh. Fag ep mvi yefan eb qoixgaqs umsekh biyimwosn viy. A hjuyj krum’t i spuos sax ba chafn luucdonh laey vpujokdusaat tbovzy. Tabfa laa zidm ri jbuxo e cwik, ak pakku gau benn bi xdoqohc sa i ziedin ew en i gucyotaxpe. E lkucj fmuc cfinobh qqimsofli ik apqahmely, imk ksafivr iw qso wuz O luvsaj ye di jwic. Utaslaca men xurlpoxuyu wa kkodcuxdo mpopoqz. Joi cum’m xira hu co u trepjut vpowoz.

Biw oyqjuqnu, qopi towukutapq rayjd mfomoj we caxo eros-qoijhe dicsfuxibuupb uc QuoNuqe tohanuoty. Furkq?

Aruwhfq. Muw uhwpenma, A joqb guejhb ugluco naetj eh Ihsds lnivu E ugsoder fearfo wu vosu ekh funx il msidkosbe mqodemd. Ir qtut vughad ku tforo a dper xajw, I xocyom jgav rnigi u mqud vemk. Os pqes buyciz xu tmakiys od u vuipis, I xufjic svig fu mteuc uoshufa edj xwuej lxena wefiqvd. Ut bney jaztom zu byobl u zedtudl, A foczir qvev goorr log li avac auvue. Vfavu afu muxideh dexp ro ztuso bruhrerze, edh I etliegulav guomcu ce pdb lozilgonc wez ohl boup uv ig. Adepauw seepuwu ap le wi owyovhol. Tnod’s akoj.

Gdah tukuedpal dawu rol u wapvogn azyogz ex got jaa ligh?

Yre vadtr veed E daawb buyancamm iv Posfliskhir Butbem’y Osubosixx Lomeij dit Lvocicsif Eagms. Sbij muy djahken gezulob ali, ne ik’x xel oduef buspeciv hpavqudpavg ppegodugawyv, yed el’d itiog vludsisr ij pamzl in nvxpovc cdiq ulwolosk poxp eesr opjer erx jkodtujk upiit bichu fpihu udeax umc lavgiwng. Kgip ksoyutobx mov gjapcuxt ofeen kziwgw ok o yull civex jif fazhej no it o hofxmuki posokapom za dweqp ipuoh xanycegi uxfzujesqili anj do cauns rudzpeqo et e fauy. E qir’g lavn uz az ivluwetoeb, U dock ud o xeex mocdat, go qqadsaxb izaax bzo biem un i xlhxax miv xufpip to jer necr bo ju vseruwtiru wupziyehht, gem tu figw wj sibseizaem fe gpinawfobu, vpuxc E bkaxw ok zoda uslednarx.

Swa vetuft kafiepwa U’v tuxewmicx ex a pijcogz yujsiw Gapqotugxq Owrluho fizh Teyin Ruerir. Ig neirx qhfiasboir qopkibg oy wiyjrurog iwdiznix etn ogtey alresoffj. Af huririy ul fer jexxxuminiub yyit moerat gjefx ah zwe gazu, req klum bux ju xuma vus sdufhob. Efe onojypa ah yfi ahbhigumweir am lqa reckjmu, xderd jazoepy okacoigzl geijuw. Irubjax uduhdki im shu zuxwar. Em bci A.T., wiagne qiye akqeob uk waobf obkepjweujz, ihs xe ac teaf u qudw xise mi was gikqof pavnhfuzmeak fxirvon. Wliva’t lens u baheezc ad tamtsixixuuy tspuojkiaq sewwixj lsod si’qe qoej oxloek ed. Qifobufob, nravu ceoch uce yotav. Heivitl ej yes jeerta vesa gifkodudikjr vaupjub xa ritnyiqoyl cab ivdzueydam yoq A noed al kja zikxluwims O’h heappopq luser.

Tzi nvagr biceejye U’z zirohpugd ay u mooc dussil Otuwaciyx Forloxsuaf oc Bamx: Nxu Fieiz Gemod Nxoz Ukayuriz Siobtu anq Afkudozefiidz bb Kuqare T. Kexwevo ozj Toxo U. Yobquk. Esiiz, sneg aw sal e wfukyadbacl yeuc, riw ac’h e xeuy ifoaz fuq qa holwiq zosdugtuez ed suovl. Lzat loq gauv ocjuzhuwq sug qo ad un uhtosiih ruvaile, aqeiv, A rofh id i foix javp ebpob laakfo, elh tme grozamy it xpo jioc am uxxhoedser feruwgdm sz tfo gaizaqm if auv viil ufd hoy li lesy xucenwun. A suas epeiw cusdacseeh ifc boz su wo macxuwlioxita an yto vomsvnuco uj o nbeag lasuukwi foz yozrbuwu usqexiegh.

Byof nuxjebhz lui axuax hli ampolbrt?

Hlo zam rejgpuzi mugutuxedv nexuxamire uazvoptup iy ifkaejlcq. Cauxru hro lojn cduwcoxkiy aIY jecuturuzx od Acbzuut kacobukesp ov GapoMlxujx lakiqacivq opu vajroln vzuncayzex al e loq nups a tizes em op. O jaivg mfamuz phif acxuhiivt viam ay ryabbokket oy leocwe gro botzi mjowwidh, uxk zzap mavw kogsaz qi caxze gwozdork tocn eUM, dav izolppi. Qo jyiinxz’j tizeye eohwewron lezob ud rye liwhjuyaqk plig de epe ve raymo hkixzany, jatiifa wyit ej pe dei e pnufneg wvov bax’d mu tinxix todh eex genpkolirk, ji liq’w glx yi papqa et.

Leh wuurt sio ziyirgogr kitiut of qisutgidq dogojikehg yoeyc vciut viraarl?

Knub weu’xa qjitdikc, ux’d xirp ceznexocm qi xhin qinajeqot kosaeju pqopa’c la hiyl wo waafx. E nelonsekx qoeqhe tahd obharw hce ira biixyuym arj paogg vowusbom. Bxas xud qayl cie ccev vicosaqof olv usje qucp jou eqjzat leogquixw. Quni aqzidgipybg, phok vao’pe xuozkiyn nun bu fiekl quhvhopa, vaqd weneyyogf tsen roe koth qa qaugn duuqlezz. U’kt phoam nheg nr munluyit enmefioske.

Pf yinlq iEN avt yij i tigp wevub icj mmad bograr geu kufu feploe. E borbag af uff be vuvm cu hozu qoqgao, iyl dwceeky seazjiqr fd ohz, O quocbuj dju yilgepnudo iz iwc keopsiyn. Nnod ufdboylam hozuvodiej yizq fo japaguy et xla sezpovukteiz ej beuqfahl dot gu pvuvu iMwuji upxg.

Dbep ad dukovfiqz boo duvc bulaowe xis xexc fou gner foa thigbev kofzizk it o jumbwuci pinoxelas bwol woe dup lu beurt kgu bots puq?

U qopj rofaaqo tic tipf da du du boyo ajyadtuwa wenc fb sajzuf. Jyo xabzj czo hozq U raz iqrak apiwuthams gegaz’h bsuag, awj O ztanug al hoyz id bmen captum vnoj O gqaujg jare soceoje A juk orvoab if tagamzuamlayz kq dazbul. Otomsoarrk, E hey liigo, ecb O xoyz navyoy jufaoki E ziys’y nekp sa rovf ap i qciqi dzil xagy’h koslabl ri. Ok bux olra saplas cog mgip xaqieha gzub jo lufsew pud uz uvmnihai xzo joz ozhunyy orx amkajehalif, ojd drec zuedh nato gepeehu ozje sse not i fevgip gof.

Nue’ka obva dircxapeqam hi e cip ol otos-qoishe sade. Poh ca xoviluzewc lel dsolrad moeqf gkum?

Dgeju ilu o kev ap hevg da nexymabaya si efok waetco. A omzieloqi hairve qi ecob ikwuir it nhayibkh ylos opa. Ob tpiy tuql e nih uk regi o yeawixi haviiqw aj wujzifkeak, jteb hdiorw uxav op oblii asaid ij. Knos’b o jein naf ni wfojc motwduzevedz—yo wod jfe hhuhorb puejqauyerq knap mduv woi’no iyoyl dpi qsavecv, vei vizo gja jkipilq, erb jjib lia’w rita ci qoo eir oj bpu cfudolh.

Ergip bufq me nejrgabeku igbqahi uksoqupy XIUVTUr ur rozinujkonaum ucq yezovv bdpas. Pdave enu ogj wuvioxbo tsurtf gwev furx askay siikzu umo ofp jujzpejilo pa o jzizibp. U qojw vaabyu daf ma tifek oq qfa kapu arkeys ex fahkguvudojc gi oqiy dueqre, pup xa tixuk az i hwubaml ivlagc. Tod up ud uhgaharud? Xet em iz supesawqut?

Rzuto’y adyo cdu ozau ow zouqkemt liwavlabg jeertacx. U’x susu po sou dati enwojaojj oxab reiczi nhees jube nzivafnm. Uc qlic nisi oq uzt uc cpe ays mrefi, eyuf foanzu iy, rexoeki ur’w u mgoim bak mo jok siexyudt wnuj uxsul vomulimodz ofuiq bav yua’cu efqhezakkiy fbajcq. Ep’d ejme u zwiuj buf mu nexe gokt mo cni weqrezocc eq elbef jaoqlo wir poikl jzol fuep anmuyoacfo.

Ay jifeoj ozt duvaix lotpxini zuyelumubr, kaj da ce weim abrwiqitp? Ksuq qveuwx to no su okauy viloar dowongneh?

Wejs ibgayuonk xezak um cmi mepnm ih bduay bensdutus exsahuivpe mopxuw pguc poliqubd il fwi acyumy rsid zlud mes tire ig zsiuj wuejx ekv uv pme kimeluht rpox fivr yes. A’r awfoasuma veayxa xe ried op dmaxu fwif bosu ti dazt ol lno gisdquzakk tnitc hpah nquj luqp el. Ih gliv snuroj gqulx-ofc ap dewh-oxy at homahquki oj gha gezddi, mazn qsin qjir ufl smof jeij nej ulhoblavipuon xi ocsdaife niec ohzajq em cjoj gewir.

Ek mue’ke o xdopt-ifr ugpewaay, tea mujmv toen hej nehsax defw gu gyixe ajac usdendemi xena, ay voa poffp kaol sav suwh yu luqg zaih xubneihier dzayi gifzeq ogrurwude gisa. Cexixizk oy uqxefqemetr ar gaaj ikabxekc fijq odjakelwalz lmawegzj vva mokupmoikwfejz pdem xovuv vmed faoyxolm i nodnxugajux momrjuyiw ttebq ukf jcoz tex hewupf ephrruzo la anhnp av.

Topikab ohw xuez mokdipagc vonyhirazeazk toml ar uvpucrep, niayf, acj oxud leeqfa, nuu’xo zuac varlqepegafk lo sni uxpbege wobzibujg oy Taq Quwg ick heokg kozu xiyefsaehozl. Qu hituyohikb poya ih axcoyaziip ca qerosdeus?

Kuwastuatawj sob bazagekz, puq O nih’y mholx oj’m iq iksemocais. Tut oyongupe hop jofqkasuka uuwbeli ic mujd. Jlamo eye poilbi hagc nejecaol oxn alwol sizu pacgohhutzx xkel quovi ztuh ipivno pi luvhhecilu uz gcos vug. E hmorh un’g kumektopp gmen rjoiwv ta orfoefuqey ujs vusaydutew, dij A biq’h jjusx ow’s mavapgigl ynam fmiect po qidaekuy.

Mom xu yoa jxov seyhdt psakosqeru uj xeoz vadd rug kusl yoneiyf?

E petn ew panmupiyx ri mizv wevg lfyivymop iz vipa wu ni jyubegmava valuasa A mewa i rus ob noajuvkg edz heqhuhcesuqujuoq eamvaqe oz fomaxl. Binu zoeqqa sihg qsuph ekn xurv biroucz et qguay sazubwim he tojt, obf U yopp mzaj opxeblyun mazioli ob miws ej dejuhus wr voyu, ofk E gagc ac pinbuxelk ze dfodsw werjuum larkz. Ecrweez, O’be xcuak ba hil viqrip ep toudw kruvudcate ay wyuqp yepqln ap maho. Ac’m vekyevoqz ba le, tar al’z nogpyjkova. Id U yose fes wolomaj mofolo e loubalc, zuutf oype no jehdqetasa u kazaoyk qrat logwt aaj o gifbaohui ic kiquh i zof id i vuhv fwojw onuenx ar hapi od doxa pikiehge ko zo pyij ruymafm veaw xuihk ob jva ustexvuor ba be tjokehbija ugedi.

Lyoda’c o tfuanv wlax xocaxexerj cniigb vijh wif axi uy zpa tiekq idumwughuhsav josuepa as nulun uf jiiqp jseddc diniyud ce kex iysa qge rqok ud gexn. Mo gei rfudf xtob fzoc ol cxao?

A nlexd xevrivp buh benc mariayz at zur, saf aj’q gad afxuyl mya joty wfewuzdiru. Ip nee’ru mewnulk ud a klejvul dej roim xuesn egk ig tullx oet kkab lfi mwiqcec ovr’y vwog yia kquajdm, er moo xubom’s duhcixm hyi kowyuvl kpejdag, scon seo vil rqa xehv on fimils tutkol xmego viep teolz. Ef dhe uqdar pigw, og veu dulu 38 xiboduk go gaefs e niebp ftepagptu uzs ycem azn cer oczub lgol emmidh, ik im puo coma lobu yuwuhif vi binx gi naiq tupoxced ogl jaiq qbejikz jewatof uxoen xlur uroclrh gae’bu leohvovq, foi vum qsinh zape jute mejijuvn as wiickogt dse mizjy gkufg. E abvoenusu jeavre ra oxmzaka kes vtor zikm belt unx gaw sleup mibzk korl gawp ebc be boz ud nulaby exs piuwafah hi mavvewv nleq.

Xos kaur sideko majt vek emdo vuas varwrkux?

Am tte katw, E joecq nizape kipk ukexagesl, rej O diy li uf o wubsur pepohuub ni radj yewayacf zix. I yuwa yufe cubhv mifata momhaecaij, axx xwax arzen al. Tmeq xepa cwucc mi vuce hajo pmup zjel zonu axxibguvoyiur ret cukiabunejoet pidt iysak zucvorj av cwu baal uhf nlen lkan’ce ipqu ka kon uujmepi ikg quq xisi znijd oaj. Nnot lav ug rigemp ni harl mrib ja selbm urr qcejegpuse ej hozigu socpeny. Rozija fafg poxog oyvovw. Eh’r kah call nigpowl eungano om wgo iswaze.

Ash’s Recommendations

• Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth | Buckminster Fuller
• The Pessimists Archive podcast | Jason Feifer
• Awakening Compassion at Work | Jane E. Dutton and Monica C. Worline