A Tech Conference for Collaboration

Often we’re stuck making one idea to solve a problem or fit acceptance criteria. At Hudl, we shook that up. We coined the phrase “learning by making” and asked every role (product mangers, engineers, scrum masters, designers, quality analysts) to make prototypes. It was messy (like really messy) and didn’t always work. We threw away a lot of attempts. But sometimes messy is the magic. This work resulted in a happier team, not just happier designers. Users and customers were involved more than ever. I’ll share actual stories of when this worked and when it fell flat. I’ll include principles we learned along the way and how managers + leaders play crucial roles.

We are all driven by continuous improvement, high quality and value for our customers. But the key to success in all-the-things, is a human-first approach. Your team members are the most important resource you have. Learn how a human-first approach can create high performing, value-driven teams that build loyalty and a pipeline of engaged humans to power your company forward. Translation for Techies: >SELECT * FROM ‘SYSTEM_HEALTH’ WHERE system_quality = ‘HIGHEST’ AND value = ‘MOST_VALUABLE’ AND deployment_strategy = ‘CONTINUOUS DEPLOYMENT’; SYSTEM HEALTH HUMANS-FIRST

Quality is everyone's responsibility. By shifting left and using a variety of techniques, teams can ensure they are driving towards the highest quality deliverable possible. It starts with empower your own QA to perform quality activities beyond just testing. In this talk we will explore how QA can be involved at all steps during the development process and what kinds of activities they are best suited to perform.

Most people don't realize they do math every day, and I'm guessing most people also don't consider they're using science every day. The Scientific Method isn't just a tool for doctors and scientists. If you're solving problems, you're likely using it too! Let's break down how the Scientific Method applies to the Software Development Life Cycle.

Tired of hearing “No” when you want to migrate applications to the cloud or leverage new cloud services? Eric Gerling has given and gotten a lot of “Nos” since opening his first cloud account in 2012. While his work in the cloud is not the sole reason he’s lost all his hair, he does hope to save you from scratching your head when working with the decision-makers in your organization. No matter what your cloud ecosystem, you’ll often hear “No” from every direction. Whether it’s Cloud Engineers, InfoSec, Compliance, C-suite, or just someone writing checks to Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or any other public cloud. Key Takeaway: You’ll leave with five ways to arm yourself and overcome rejection so what you hear instead is, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

What were they thinking? Do they even use the product? At one point or another, we've all asked this question of products we have to use. We've also been on the receiving end, and defended ourselves by saying "they are holding it wrong". I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be this way. Products users love, the ones that evoke reactions like "simple" and "intuitive" are the output of high performing teams. These teams are often comprised of a different type of engineer - the product-minded engineer. These engineers engage the "why" with an eye on solving the customer's problem. They understand the business but empathize with the user. They build experiences, not features. Product-minded engineers aren't mythical beasts. They are real, and I'm here to share my journey on becoming a product-minded engineer. Join me to learn about: - How to help create an environment that empowers product minded engineers - Changing the mindset from feature-driven to product-driven - Lessons learned while pursuing this journey

Whether it's making new friends or making new professional connections, a flourishing tech community greatly increases the quality of life for professional technologists. Let's get together to talk about the Omaha Tech Community -- it's past, present, and future -- and develop a shared vision for what it could become. This is an interactive and collaborative session in which attendees are encouraged to provide feedback and share ideas.