Why Developer Events Are Powerful

Developer events, ranging from conferences and workshops to meetups and hackathons, are a cornerstone of the tech community.

These gatherings are not just about learning new skills or diving deep into code; they're about building relationships, inspiring innovation, and fostering a sense of community among those in the tech industry.

Plus, as someone who loves to learn and grow, it’s always awesome to hear about how other companies are tackling the same challenges and problems that we all face.

In a post-covid world, with social event numbers on the rise, it’s time to explore the benefits of going back to in-person developer events (or joining online if that’s an option).

Let’s dive in.

Networking Opportunities

Let’s get the obvious out of the way.

In any professional career, networking is always going to be a part of it. “Your network is your net worth”, as the saying goes. While I believe that this statement holds merit, and that there are a lot of positives to healthy and constructive networking events, I know that they aren’t for everybody. Especially introverted developers.

However, I’ve found that it’s easier to start a conversation at developer events (in comparison to some startup events that I attend) because the conversations are frequently very technical, so you can jump straight in and talk about your favourite stack or the latest tools you are using, without having to worry too much about the obligatory small talk. Being a developer is a great icebreaker and makes it easy to meet and build a relationship with other developers.

Attending events allow you to expand your network, which can lead to many new opportunities, collaborations or projects.

Learning & Skill Enhancement

Really great events will ensure that they have some meat on the bone to offer attendees. This typically comes in the form of a panel discussion or by having a keynote speaker or two.

These sessions provide incredibly valuable insights and behind-the-scenes looks to how others are doing things or what problems they’re facing.

I always find it so amazing that universal problems like hiring top talent, employee retention, or even code reviews, are all things that small companies to some of the largest software companies in the world are battling with.

Use these events to gain exposure and insights so that you (and the company you work for) can improve.

Inspiration & Innovation

Being a developer can often become quite an isolating experience, especially in the remote working world.

Events like this help foster connection and community. Sharing ideas, talking about our experiences and tackling universal problems is a great way to foster inspiration and innovation that can then turn into momentum.

If you’re ever in a slump, go to an event or watch a recording of a keynote from your favourite event. It’ll do wonders for your mindset and will guarantee to get you out of the slump and back to building something great.

Plato’s Elevate Event

There are a lot of these sort of events to choose from, but none as valuable as Plato’s Elevate event that happens each year.

As a tech lead and CEO, I find this event to be particularly impactful, as it specifically focuses on gathering developers that are all looking to improve their leadership roles and enhance their skills.

This year, Elevate will have over 50 speakers from only the best tech companies out there. Netflix, Slack, okta and yelp to name but a few. All of these companies will have their best leads and developers attending the event, all sharing ideas and creating an environment to learn from and grow rapidly.

You can’t ask for a better way to spend your time as a developer!

I’m unable to attend this year, but I’ve already got my slot booked for next year’s event in Portland, Oregon, USA. I hope to see some of you there in 2025!

See you again next week.

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