“I’m a Missionary for C++” | Jon Kalb on CppCon & Coder Community

Jon Kalb, founder of CppCon and a founding board member of the C++ Alliance, explains why he considers himself a “missionary for C++.”

Growing up as the son of missionaries and spending part of his childhood in Sierra Leone helped shape Jon’s philosophy about community, leadership, and the importance of how you accomplish something—not simply the end result.

That philosophy became part of the culture behind CppCon. From intentionally keeping speakers accessible to attendees to creating an environment where developers can learn directly from one another, Jon sees the conference as something bigger than its technical sessions.

He also reflects on why the difficulty of C++ can actually strengthen its community: programmers are solving hard problems together, learning from one another, and experiencing the moment when a complicated tool suddenly begins to make sense.

Through his work with the C++ Alliance, Jon continues that mission by helping developers better understand C++, the Boost libraries, and the tools available for building better software.

Learn more about the C++ Alliance and its work supporting the C++ ecosystem.