"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few." - Shunryu Suzuki, from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" The Japanese Zen term shoshin translates as “beginner’s mind” and refers to a paradox: the more you know about a subject, the more likely you are to close your mind to further learning. In contrast, the beginner’s state of mind is judgment free. It’s open, curious, available, and present. We’ll draw on examples of these mindsets from fields as varied as aviation and geology, and discover lessons we can apply to the world of software development.