J. B. Rainsberger
Trusted adviser and shoulder to cry on
Atlantic Canada • Working remotely worldwide
Origin Story
Some time in 1999, after starting his computer programming career at IBM Toronto, J. B. started to wonder why everything around him seemed so broken and nobody around him seemed to mind. He ran up and down the halls, waving his arms furiously, screaming at everyone to get their attention, but nothing seemed to change. A kind, gentle senior programmer named Greg invited J. B. into his office, showed him a financial report, then explained that all the productivity of all the 300 people in the building represented about 0.7% of IBM Canada's revenue. "That's why nobody cares about what you're yelling about."
In that moment, J. B. realized that understanding the apparent irrationality of people was the key to him finding happiness at work. At least, that's what he believed at the time. This began a fascination with people that he'd never had before. Suddenly, the computers seemed incidental and people became the path through which he would find satisfaction, content, even joy and peace in his work.
Fast forward to the present day and J. B. continues to find people intriguing and strange, but has learned to feel compassion and even affection for them. Yes, including the ones who still seem to stand in the way between him and peace in his work.
Writer & speaker
Writing
J. B. writes about psychological safety, interpersonal dynamics, and how knowing a little behavioral economics goes a long way towards making your job make more sense. He also shares practical day-to-day techniques that help with managing your individual workload, regulating your emotional state, and building systems that work with your brain instead of against it. He even continues to write about the gritty details of professional software development.
Talks & workshops
J. B. speaks about and teaches people how to improve their work systems as well as work more effectively with colleagues and co-workers. He loves to give conference attendees renewed hope and optimism about their jobs, while also leaving them with practical tricks that they can use immediately. In 2026 he relaunched The Selfish Team Player, which brings together decades of theory and experience understanding motivation, transforming relationships, and leading with greater impact.
Philosophy and approach
Patient, non-judgmental, practical
When you come to J. B. with a worry or a problem, his primary goal becomes to see the look of relief on your face when you find a solution. He does this through a combination of paying exquisite attention to you, challenging your limiting beliefs, and helping you make clearer sense of what's going on around you. He draws on decades of theory and experience building trusted working systems that deliver better results and that people actually use.
Focused on you
Motivation is tricky: there are things that you "know" you should be doing, but simply don't do. You might not even understand what's stopping you. J. B. doesn't tell you what you ought to be doing; he helps you figure out what lies at the intersection of what you need, what you want, and what you'll actually do. This results in solutions that work for you, rather than guilt and shame about how you struggle to "do better".
For everyone, not only software professionals
Although J. B. spent decades focusing on helping software development professionals, he brings his approach and style to people in a wide variety of job roles and work environments.
Emerging leaders
People just starting to look beyond their individual ability to produce results, who are confused and even dismayed at how difficult it seems to get other people to focus on improvement the way they do.
Would-be freelancers
Folks experiencing their first entrepreneurial seizure, who see breaking away from traditional full-time employment as essential to their financial future, their professional growth, and their emotional well-being.
Disillusioned employees
People struggling to with their day jobs, from makng sense of the chaos to making it through the crushing sameness. They are simply looking for a chance to do good work, enjoy their lives, and feel like things are going to be OK.
Enthusiastic managers
Folks fired up about introducing big changes in their organizations, who don't want to lose that fire when their plans come into contact with people who don't have the energy, don't share the vision, and mostly want to stop you from moving their cheese.
Beyond the work
Away from The jbrains Experience, J. B. is a professional 5-pin bowler. (Yes, such creatures exist!) He travels Canada competing in tournaments, coaching young people in amateur events, all while devouring sports psychology books to help him improve his performance.
What helps him on the lanes also informs his work with people like you, and the experience he has gained through this work has helped him build the resilience and subtle determination he needs to improve as a bowler, even when it seems like nothing ever changes and winning remains out of reach.
And when he isn't working, either on the lanes or off, he travels, mostly around Europe, renting the big cities one week at a time. His priorities include finding good food, great coffee, and a relaxing place to simply be. At home, he finds time to be barista, cook, baseball fan, and language learner.
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