The Laravel Podcast
From Math Teacher to DevRel with Leah Thompson
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Career changes can happen through passion and dedication, regardless of your prior field.
- Leveraging social media to build in public can create networking opportunities and job prospects.
- Public speaking can be an effective way to engage with the developer community and share knowledge.
- Flexibility in roles, like combining marketing with development, can lead to fulfilling careers in tech.
- Enjoyment and passion for what you do are essential for success.
Summary
Introduction to Leah Thompson
In this episode of the Larval Podcast, Matt Stauffer welcomes Leah Thompson, a DevRel engineer at Laravel, to share her inspiring journey from a mathematics background and teaching to the tech industry. She describes her role in the Laravel community and the vital skills she's developed along the way.
Career Transition from Mathematics Teacher to Tech
Leah discusses her unconventional path to tech, highlighting her degree in mathematics and initial experience as a high school geometry teacher. After realizing she wanted to pivot to a tech career during the COVID pandemic, she took part in a free online boot camp to learn web development, which transformed her career trajectory.
Building in Public and Networking
Throughout her journey, Leah emphasizes the importance of building in public, utilizing social media like Twitter and Twitch to share her learning process. This approach not only helped her gain followers but also led to job opportunities, showcasing the value of community and networking.
Role and Responsibilities at Laravel
At Laravel, Leah initially started as a marketing engineer but gradually got involved in development relations (DevRel). She explains her main contributions, including building marketing websites and transitioning into a more coding-focused role while retaining her passion for community engagement through public speaking.
The Importance of Public Speaking and Content Creation
Leah discusses her experiences speaking at conferences, her tips on overcoming initial fears of public speaking, and her desire to share content with the community. She outlines strategies for preparing talks and finding engaging topics, emphasizing that genuine enthusiasm can fuel success.
Sponsors
- Titan · We build and rescue web apps and dev teams. Check us out at Titan.com
Show notes
In this episode, Matt Stauffer interviews Leah Thompson, a DevRel engineer at Laravel, who shares her unique journey into tech, transitioning from a mathematics background and teaching to web development. Leah discusses her experiences in the Laravel community, the importance of networking, and her role in building marketing websites. She emphasizes the value of public speaking, building in public, and engaging with the community through streaming.
- Matt Stauffer on Twitter
- Leah Thompson on Twitter
- Leah Thompson on Twitch
- Leah Thompson on GitHub
- Leah Thompson on Bluesky
- Design That Sticks | Leah Thompson Laracon US 2025
- Laravel Twitter
- Laravel Website
- Tighten Website
- Suggestion Box
----- Editing and transcription sponsored by Tighten.
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