Python Inc.
Python is popular!
python.meetup.com
github.com/search }
Based on: Google searches for language tutorials
Based on: the number of skilled engineers world-wide, courses and third party vendors
What actually matters for growing and sustaining a language and community
(former) Director Diversity Chair @jessicamckellar http://jesstess.com
Python Startups Rebootless Linux kernel updates (Python desktop client) Real-time group collaboration (Django website) File sync, share, and collaboration (Python desktop client)
What actually matters
Python Inc.
Python Inc: Part I Metrics Metrics help you focus on impact
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Typical metric # of new users / month
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Typical metric % of month over month active users
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Typical metric Average # of hours of use per day
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Typical metric % of users who have shared with another user this month
The Funnel New users Highly-engaged users Customers Funnel analysis helps you focus on impact
The Funnel Poor onboarding Not enough use-cases Value isn t worth cost New users Highly-engaged users Customers Competitors Unclear value proposition Doesn t match user workflows
The Funnel Great onboarding Great for many use-cases Value is worth the cost New users Highly-engaged users Customers Clear value proposition Great for many workflows Better than the competition
The Flywheel New users Virality Retention, Engagement Highly-engaged users, Customers Metrics + funnel analysis optimized flywheel
Metrics case study: Python
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Example metrics # of new user group attendees / month # of Python downloads / month
New attendees at the Boston Python Workshop
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Example metrics % of month over month active user group attendees % of month over month active CPython contributors
Contributors at the PyCon development sprints
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Example metrics # of user group event volunteers # of weekly CPython code reviewers
Volunteers at a introductory Python tutorial
The Metrics 1. New user growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality Example metrics % of 1st-time conference attendees # of GitHub / Twitter / Facebook likes / shares Rate of language adoption in schools / businesses
PyCon Asia-Pacific: huge year-over-year growth
The Funnel Potential Python users Python learners Python users Ecosystem contributors
The Funnel Not used in school / job Hard to set up dev environment Potential Python users Python learners Unclear value proposition Confusing tutorials Not enough use-cases Intimidating Python users Ecosystem contributors Insufficient local or online community Weak new-contributor support
The Funnel Popular at school & work Easy to set up dev environment Potential Python users Python learners Clear value proposition Clear, effective tutorials Great for many use-cases Friendly, welcoming developer community Python users Ecosystem contributors Strong local and online communities Great new contributor support
The Flywheel Potential Python users Virality Retention, Engagement Learners, users, ecosystem contributors
Python Inc: Part II The market
Python Inc: Part II The market 1. The competition 2. The (ever-changing) market 3. Python s competitive advantages
The competition Web / Infrastructure As a glue language DevOps Education Scientific computing Data analysis Desktop software
JavaScript The competition Web / Infrastructure As a glue language Scala Go Ruby DevOps Education Scientific computing Data analysis Desktop software R And don t forget: Java and C are old-timers but still have > 3x the market share
The (ever-changing) market 1. Web 2. Mobile
Python s competitive advantages 1. Strong community 2. Comparatively easy to learn 3. General-purpose 4. Increasingly popular in schools
Python can be 1. The default language learned in school 2. The easiest, most delightful language to learn and share 3. A great general-purpose language for many applications
Python is 1. Hard to install 2. Falling behind on quality of onboarding 3. Hard to use on Windows 4. Hard to distribute 5. Still behind Java, C++ in schools 6. Still dealing with an image problem
Python Inc: Part III You are the CEO
Python can be 1. The default language learned in school 2. The easiest, most delightful language to learn and share 3. A great general-purpose language for many applications
Python is 1. Hard to install 2. Falling behind on quality of onboarding 3. Hard to use on Windows 4. Hard to distribute 5. Still behind Java, C++ in schools 6. Still dealing with an image problem
Where to focus? (Learning about functions at a Boston Python Workshop)
Remember the funnel! Popular at school & work Easy to set up dev environment Potential Python users Python learners Clear value proposition Clear, effective tutorials Great for many use-cases Friendly, welcoming developer community Python users Ecosystem contributors Strong local and online communities Great new contributor support
The Metrics 1. New developer growth 2. Retention 3. Engagement 4. Virality The Flywheel Potential Python users The Funnel Potential Python users Virality Retention, Engagement Python learners Python users Ecosystem contributors Learners, users, ecosystem contributors
What actually matters
What doesn t matter?
What doesn t matter? Python 2 v. 3 The Funnel Potential Python users Python learners Python users Ecosystem contributors
What doesn t matter? Excessive bikeshedding about: Python 2.8 packaging the GIL Python being too slow any particular language feature PSF election protocol details etc. The Funnel Potential Python users Python learners Python users Ecosystem contributors
What does matter?
What does matter? 1. Best installation experience 2. Best onboarding experience 3. Accelerated adoption in schools
What does matter? 1. Best installation experience Especially on Windows Including for common libraries
installing Python won't happen here, sorry. http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-27/?action=preview&uid=26178 Reverend Speed says... Gahh, another game I can't play. I get the error message, "10secs.exe is not a valid Win32 application". Could this be because I'm on Windows XP? Mental Atrophy says... Reverend Speed, it is a 64-bit application because of the way I "compiled" it. Sorry.
What does matter? 1. Best installation experience 2. Best onboarding experience Opinionated onboarding: don t overwhelm beginners with choices they don t know how to make Separate tutorials for first-time and experienced programmers
Best onboarding experience?
What does matter? 1. Best installation experience 2. Best onboarding experience 3. Accelerated adoption in schools Leading general computer science adoption Universities Secondary schools After-school programs
Generic call to action
Pick a part of the Python community you are passionate about New programmers Kids Students A user group A conference An open source Python project Core Python The Python job market
This year Pick a metric funnel segment flywheel arc Pick 1 project
Generic call to action
Opinionated call to action = higher impact
Help with 1 of these 1. Best installation experience 2. Best onboarding experience 3. Accelerated adoption in schools Step 1: Assemble a Working Group Step 2: Define key metrics and objectives Step 3: Execute!
The Python Software Foundation
PSF Outreach & Education http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/outreach-and-education An intro workshop for first-time programmers http://bostonpythonworkshop.com
Python Sprints http://pythonsprints.com/
PSF Grants http://python.org/psf/grants/
1 project x 450 people = huge impact
1 project x 450 people = huge impact Let s do it!
Python Inc. Thank you! Questions?