Non-developer courses for developers — Why?
Why theory before practice is important for blockchain developers. We should strive for a broader understanding beyond coding.
At B9lab, we offer a variety of courses on our platform. While most are differentiated by protocol, a few are labelled “Blockchain for Non-Developers”. In this article, we want to explain how we use the term “non-developer” to define the courses’ focus areas, and why we believe that developers profit from taking our on-developer courses.
We design our educational program to reflect the multi-dimensional nature of blockchain technology. The material presents all its dimensions — how we understand, analyze, and implement blockchain, as well as its wider technical, economic, and societal context. As our courses convey, blockchain is not only limited to execution.
As Anil Öner, B9lab’s Hyperledger expert instructor, points out:
“Our mission is to give developers the tools to implement the technology and to think critically about the wider implications it could have. For us, the latter is equally important.”
The non-developer courses are for those who are interested in blockchain beyond coding. They cover the essential theories and concepts behind blockchain technology. Through the analysis of use cases, the courses provide a broader perspective on how blockchain will impact businesses and overall economic activity, which in turn, instills students with the capabilities to make reasonable and profitable decisions.
As the “non-developer” courses are open to technical and non-technical profiles alike, the challenge is to make the material engaging for people from diverse backgrounds. This is not an easy task to accomplish. It forces us to ask:
What previous knowledge do we expect our participants to bring with them before taking the course? What points do we have to explain or further elaborate on? When is it just too much? When is it not enough?
We see the non-developer and developer courses as two sides of the same coin. Each perspective benefits greatly from the other. Those with non-technical backgrounds need to understand the technical fundamentals to enrich their abstract notions of the technology. Equally developers need to look beyond coding and use their theoretical and contextual knowledge to create solid and successful projects.
We inherently accept that without theory, what we practice is limited to our experience and, more importantly, our point of view. Theory gives us context to work in and provides us with a broader understanding that can be beneficial when facing certain tasks. We believe that theoretical foundations and insights from other non-technical areas widens the perspective of the developers we train, and in the end, makes them better equipped to work in a nascent and continuously developing environment.
What developers need is not only a thorough understanding of the protocols and tools, but also insights into business models, economics, and social impact. This knowledge provides developers with a broad overview of the environment which in turn, empowers them to identify the opportunities and challenges their venture can have and operate from sound decision rationales. — Anil Öner, B9lab course instructor.
Why do we insist on theory and practice? After teaching thousands of developers, we have found that the roles and responsibilities that fall on blockchain developers are sometimes dual in nature as they are developer and decision maker at the same time.
Many blockchain developers work independently on their projects — only at maturity do most projects require an infrastructure that goes beyond a few computers. As they do, the problematic business decisions taken unthinkingly in the development phase, become embedded in the project. Without a plan to help them strategize in the planning and development phase, ventures can quickly fall apart.
If you are a developer and want to feel more confident in addressing blockchain from a non-technical perspective, take a look at our “non-developer” courses and our tailored business-centered subscription, INSIGHT.
