Why your best engineer might be a former ballerina firefighter

What non-traditional paths teach us about building better teams.

A chamber musician knows how to read non-verbal cues in real-time performance. A theater technician masters troubleshooting under pressure when the show must go on. A teacher understands how to communicate complex ideas clearly. These aren’t just interesting career pivots, they’re exactly the skills software teams need, but often overlook. In her presentation at All Things Open, Sharon DeCaro from PayPal Braintree shares why unconventional backgrounds aren’t just acceptable in tech, they’re the secret ingredient for building stronger teams and better software.

Sharon’s own path to software engineering involved hating programming three separate times before finally writing Excel macros out of necessity. She moved from data entry to SQL databases to full-stack engineering, never quite fitting the traditional computer science mold. Her music degree became a conversation starter in interviews, but the real value wasn’t in building music software, it was in the transferable skills from performing in small ensembles. Musicians in chamber groups, jazz combos, and a cappella ensembles communicate non-verbally during live performances, reading body language and passing cues without breaking the flow. That ability to stay synchronized with teammates under pressure translates directly to collaborative software development.

Read more: The secret skill every developer needs to succeed with AI today

The challenge with diversity isn’t just about demographics on HR forms, it’s about bringing unique perspectives that challenge assumptions and prevent teams from getting stuck in group-think. Sharon highlights how different backgrounds contribute distinct strengths: Athletes bring practice discipline and teamwork awareness, teachers excel at communication, food service workers develop deep customer empathy, and military veterans understand that plans disappear the moment situations go live. The problem is that uniform teams feel smooth in the short term because everyone agrees on next steps without conflict, but that comfort becomes dangerous and risky over time when teams need fresh thinking to solve new problems.

Organizations struggle to recognize contributions from unconventional backgrounds because they don’t always match what comes from traditional computer science paths. Sharon challenges both sides of this divide. For those with conventional backgrounds, she emphasizes becoming advocates who recognize that people don’t all learn computers the same way and that diverse hiring needs internal champions. For those with unconventional paths, she stresses being kind to yourself, leaning into your unique strengths while borrowing from others’ expertise, and remembering you’re in the right place even when conversations occasionally fly over your head.

Key takeaways

• Transferable skills matter more than credentials. Real-time communication from music performance, troubleshooting from theater tech, empathy from food service, and adaptability from military service all translate directly to software development challenges.
• Uniform teams feel smooth but become dangerous. Short-term comfort from everyone agreeing prevents the fresh perspectives needed to challenge assumptions and avoid getting stuck on long-term problems.
• Everyone needs everyone else. Conventional and unconventional backgrounds both bring essential strengths, from deep technical security expertise to creative problem-solving from tangential experiences like weaving or other pursuits.

Software needs more than just people who’ve been coding their whole lives. Sharon’s message is clear: Make room for the ballerina firefighters, the chamber musicians, the theater techs, and everyone else whose winding path brought unexpected skills to your team. You have no idea who’s about to make your work so much better.

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