Speaker
Abstract
What is an unconference?
An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. Attendees come together, bringing their challenges and relying on the experience and know-how of their peers for solutions. A professional facilitator is also there to help keep the discussion moving forward, but where it goes is up to the participants.
It's a facilitated peer group that avoids the hierarchical aspects of a conventional conference, such as a top-down organization. Only the broad themes are predetermined. Everything else is just space for attendees to sound off ideas together, relate to shared challenges and rewards, and identify new ideas and goals.
Our unconference sessions have been based on the Open Space Technology and Lean Coffee format since 2006.
Why are we doing unconference sessions?
We have designed QCon for senior software practitioners. That role comes with demanding challenges and complex problems.
Connecting with your peers in a structured environment allows you to:
- Broaden your perspective with the benefit of the experience of others.
- Challenge how you've been doing things by breaking out of your bubble.
- Learn from peers who have already overcome the challenges you're facing now.
- Benchmark your solutions against other teams and organizations.
- Get real-world perspectives on challenges that might be too novel or specific to find solutions in books or presentations.
- Validate your technical roadmap with real-world research.
- Connect with others like you and build relationships that go beyond the event.
QCon New York 2023 is a three day conference for senior software engineers, architects and team leads. An international program committee of working engineers selects every session. Patterns and practices, not products and pitches.
Part of the track
Staff+ Engineering: New Skills, New Challenges Hosted by Leslie Chapman Engineering Fellow @ComcastFrom the same track
Tuesday 13 June
10:35 Salon D Session The Decision Buy-In Algorithm John Riviello Engineering Fellow @Comcast and @Google Developer Expert Making large, important technical decisions is a critical aspect of a senior individual contributor's role. With the wide impact these decisions can have, it is essential to make the correct decision. 11:50 Salon D Session Staff Plus Engineering Growing Others to Grow Yourself Audrey Troutt CTO @Tomo The best way to grow in your career is to help others grow as well. This is true when you are going from engineer to senior engineer, or if you are a senior engineer growing into a principal or tech lead. 13:40 Carroll Gardens Unconference Unconference: Staff+ Engineering Ben Linders Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality and Continuous Improvement What is an unconference? An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. Attendees come together, bringing their challenges and relying on the experience and know-how of their peers for solutions. 14:55 Salon D Session Staff Plus Engineering The Creative Act: How Staff+ Is More Art Than Science David Grizzanti Principal Engineer @nytimes Achieving a Staff+ role is a huge achievement and something many engineers seek as the next step in their career growth. All Staff+ roles are not the same and exactly what your role entails can sometimes be a bit murky, to say the least. 16:10 Salon D Session Engineering Making the Decision To Be an Individual Contributor or a People Leader Michael Winslow Engineering Director @Amazon Music As software engineers advance in their careers, we are often faced with the choice between remaining an individual contributor or transitioning to a people leadership role. This decision can be challenging and complex, as both paths offer unique benefits and challenges. 17:25 Salon D Panel Panel: Staff+ Engineering - New Skills, New Challenges Michael Winslow, David Grizzanti, Audrey Troutt, Stacy Kirk As you progress in your career, your technical skills will still be important, but you will also need to develop new skills in leadership, communication, and strategic thinking. This panel will provide practical advice on how to succeed in this role.