>How did you get rid of your performance anxiety? Performing. I started doing open mic comedy. Five minutes of free expression, and they're flashing me in th

>How did you get rid of your performance anxiety? Performing. I started doing open mic comedy. Five minutes of free expression, and they're flashing me in the front row, replacing the mayor, and I'm able to crank out code like it's the goddamn Matrix -- confidence is a hell of a drug. Didn't get me a JOB -- I actually got evicted due to nonpayment of rent because I got laid off and my family cut me off... but at least we knocked out some local party officials who used to hand out money to children at the halloween parade and had fun doing it! So try public speaking op. Not in the tech context. Wander into an open mic you saw a sign on a pole for and just... let loose. Worst case, you'll bomb. But, if folks aren't assholes then (and you aren't a hateful little fuck) then worst case they'll probably just quietly move to the next person and let you try again next. Again, I cannot emphasize enough: I'm just a sample size of one. Getting flashed will make you code better, especially if it's after literally screaming to a room full of undergrads "rumors I'm an Israeli spy are greatly exaggerated, but electricity, like driving is a privileged and elections are not optional -- so get with the fucking program, or get in the ground with Jeffrey Epstein!" Someone pulled me aside after and explained most people don't just rant every week, they iterate on a specific act but... I guess that's why it's improv technically, not comedy, but the line is blurry. Just make sure they're not gonna film it, or you'll be worse off than when you started... true comedy isn't about getting onto netflex or whatever, it's about making people laugh so hard they forget to look into what you did with the WiFi ;-)