The Story of The Road To Dev

Hi there,

My name is Martin Kruger. I'm a senior front-end web developer and web development educator with many years of experience. I've learnt computer science academically but I'm largely self-taught. I've worked as a web developer at startups as well as big corporations, working in industries such as fintech (Finance) and eCom (eCommerce). I've also taught 1000s of students web development, ran graduate programmes and written web development courses for international schools.

I want to share the purpose, meaning and message behind The Road To Dev.

I live in South Africa where majority of the population lives in poverty, stuck in endless generational cycles of poverty, and it doesn't have to be like this. Not in South Africa, and not in your country either. I have previously helped many break their generational poverty cycle, and seeing this play out more than once is what put me on my journey many years ago to start The Road To Dev.

There are a vast number of different jobs that can be done remotely and on a computer. There are countless opportunities available while at the same time there being an endless amount of knowledge on the internet. Despite this, people still suffer from poverty and a lack of employment. We largely sit and wait for the government and other powers to try solve problems like poverty, but I have learnt that this is not where change will come from: Change will come from within society, through compassion and sacrifice. Through uplifting others by sharing knowledge and upskilling them, breaking the poverty cycle and having this process repeat.

For years I have referred to the "oxygen mask principle" when talking to my students. Before airplane takes off, an air host will demonstrate how you must first put your own oxygen mask on, and after that, you can then help those around you. Now that I am financially stable, I can now help others put on their own air masks so that they can also breathe. This I believe is key to uplifting those who are stuck in poverty cycles, and the benefits can be exponential.

I welcome you to your journey on The Road To Dev.

Onwards and upwards!