Six years ago, I was asked to create a better Excel spreadsheet to track water requests for a small irrigation district. That request sparked an unexpected journey: from knowing only basic Python syntax to building a SaaS platform that models physical water delivery systems. This platform now handles water accounting, delivery tracking, scheduling, reporting, and even simulation for real-world use.
In this talk, I’ll share how I tackled challenges like: - Transitioning from spreadsheets to a Python-powered solution. - Modeling physical systems without a background in discrete mathematics, graph theory, or simulation. - Scaling a personal learning project into a production-ready SaaS application.
I’ll also explore the tools and techniques that made it possible, the lessons I learned along the way, and the moments of failure and success that shaped my journey. Whether new to Python, considering tackling a big project, or just curious about real-world applications of Python, this talk will inspire attendees to dive in and solve problems beyond their comfort zone.