Science, Software, and Scissors

An educational, enjoyable, and highly interactive talk that compares the scientific method, software development, and roshambo.

Raise Your Hand if you Know the Answer

A fun, interactive talk that introduces proprioception, explores epistemology, and explains how both are essential and relate to testing and feedback loops.

5-10 mins. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_y64YP7zgk&list=PLJEZ1QEUJI1gkC-4BUUNCeuBpBi4B59wf&index=1&pp=iAQB

Word Smatter: Exploring Semantics, Testers, and Problems

“Testers [do|don’t] (help) [prevent|detect] problems.”

Throughout my career, I’ve encountered numerous variations of this phrase and discussed the underlying ideas often. The phrase uses just a few, small words to express many, big ideas. And so, it is valuable and critical to understand what each word means individually in order to better understand the ideas they convey collectively.

Semantics is the study of meaning in words. The session begins with a brief and broad overview of semantics and related ideas. This sets the stage for deep analysis of each individual word in the phrase above and its potential meaning. We collaboratively consider:

Testers – What might this word mean to different people and in different contexts?
Do/Don’t – What do normative and descriptive statements have to do with it?
Help – How does the inclusion/exclusion of this word affect the meaning of the phrase?
Prevent/Detect – What does causality and relativism have to do with which word we choose?
Problems – What exactly is the thing that is being prevented or detected?

This session demystifies and promotes semantics, and goes beyond wordplay to introduce critical concepts that have practical impacts on testers, their roles, and their responsibilities.

Tech and tools are cool, but without the ability to express ideas effectively, it is all moot. This talk helps attendees communicate more clearly.

Talking About Talking

I began speaking professionally in 2016. I began speaking at conferences in 2014. I began speaking in 1973.

In this informal, educational, and enjoyable session, I will offer lessons learned from a lifetime of formal and informal talking. I will share, and we will discuss (among other things):

Why – I began speaking at conferences, and why you might, too.
What – Topics I select, and which might work for you.
How – I create a talk, and how you can develop ideas.

Come prepared to ask and answer questions as we collaboratively converse, and “talk about talking”!

Let me help YOU develop the next generation of conference speakers!

The Hidden Requirements: Exploring Emotions with Placebos

Traditionally, products and services are designed and built according to various functional and non-functional requirements - things that the product or service should be or do. While this is important, there has been a lack of focus on emotional requirements - feelings that the product or service should induce in a user. Why are these "hidden" emotional requirements important?

Because the way we *feel* is important and should be considered!

In this talk, I support this bold claim with evidence by providing relevant facts, opinions, research, quotations, examples, hypotheticals, and more. Then, after supporting the claim, I'll offer a few practical methods by which to collect, create, and check emotional requirements. Finally, I use placebos as lens to view products and services and gain insight into emotional requirements.

Join me for a thoughtful and thorough exploration of The Hidden Requirements!

IMHO, this is the single, biggest problem in modern product and service development. If you disagree, it is likely because you haven't seen this talk!

Something from Nothing

Improv(isational) theater is, essentially, making something from nothing - performers create and perform shows spontaneously, without a script, props, or costumes. But, to be successful at improv, you should learn, practice, and use a few, fundamental improv "rules" - principles and skills that are as useful on stage as they are at play, in school, and with life.

"Hank and Stella in Something from Nothing" is a children's storybook - written in rhyme with bright illustrations- that introduces kids to improv and a few improv "rules" to help them develop their imaginations and confidence, play cooperatively and collaboratively, and understand the value and benefits of practice and diversity.

In this session, I read and discuss the book, and then play a few improv games that are safe, fun, age-appropriate, and demonstrate the ideas in the book.

Join us for some improv, and laugh while you learn!

I have done this "session" as an Author Visit at elementary schools around central Ohio. See https://www.hankandstellabooks.com/author-visits for more info.

Is This [Joke] Appropriate?

Leverage the neuroscience of humor to teach critical thinking and risk assessment skills that transfer across all industries and contexts. This unique approach uses comedy analysis as a memorable framework for decision-making, resulting in better judgment calls and fewer unwanted consequences.

Audience
Anyone interested in managing risk and avoiding undesired outcomes.

Duration
45 - 60 minutes

Key Takeaways
-Cross-functional skill development
-Measurable improvement in decision-making competencies
-An engaging alternative to traditional risk management training

NOTE
​This session is SFW and does not contain any inappropriate humor or jokes!

MORE INFO
https://www.ineffable-solutions.com/is-this-joke-appropriate

More Than That

“What do you do?”

It’s a frequent first question asked at parties, networking events, and bad dates. And unfortunately, the answer is often singular and limiting. ​No one is just one thing. You - and everyone else - are actually much More Than That!

And so, perhaps a more interesting question is, “Who are you?” But, how should you answer?

This talk employs crowd work, humor, improv, personal experience, deep research, and more to examine our labels, identities, and interests while confronting anxiety, connecting hidden talents, and finding inspiration in unexpected sources. You'll laugh, learn, and unlock your true potential as you rediscover Who You Are!

Improv(e) Your Testing!

Improvisational comedy—sometimes called improv—is a form of theater in which the performance is created in the moment. Successful improv involves learning and using a variety of skills and techniques which allow performers to quickly adapt to a constantly changing environment and new information. Now reread the previous sentence, but replace the word improv with testing.

In many ways, improv is a great analogy for testing. As both an experienced improviser and tester, Damian Synadinos presents some of the many similarities between improv and testing. Each improv tip and trick is thoroughly described and demonstrated with help from the audience. Damian then explains and shows how the very same idea can be applied in a testing context. Using creative metaphors and critical analysis, old ideas about testing are reframed in novel and notable ways.

Whether novice or experienced, you are sure to laugh, learn, and leave with ways to help improv(e) your testing!

Improv(e) Your Requirements!

Improvisational comedy—sometimes called improv—is a form of theater in which the performance is created spontaneously, in the moment. Successful improvisers learn and use a variety of skills and techniques which allow them to better extract ideas, expand on them, and make them meaningful and manifest. Now reread the previous sentence, but replace the word “improvisers” with “analysts”. In many ways, improv is a great analogy for requirement elicitation, analysis, and specification.

In this highly interactive session, Damian Synadinos uses his extensive experience with improv and requirements to explain and demonstrate similarities between the two. After setting context and expectations, Damian introduces and discusses a few basic concepts that are essential to developing valuable requirements. Building on those ideas, he continues by describing and demonstrating (with help from the audience) some basic principles of improv. He then explains and shows how the very same ideas might also be useful in a requirements context. By using creative analogies and critical analysis, old ideas are reframed and presented in new, novel, and notable ways.

Whether you are a requirements creator or consumer, you are sure to laugh, learn, and leave with ways to help improv(e) your requirements!

See https://www.ineffable-solutions.com/improv-e-your-requirements for more info.

Trust, but Verify - explAIned

Everything starts with trust. It is foundational in every aspect of our personal and professional lives. And in many situations, trust alone is sufficient. However, sometimes relying solely on trust can have catastrophic consequences. But how can we know when trust is enough? And what can we do when it is not? By evaluating risk and practicing skepticism!

In low-risk situations, moving forward with faith-based trust alone is reasonable. But in high-risk situations, it can be beneficial to base our decisions and actions on evidence instead. Skepticism is a neutral stance that questions blind beliefs, suspends judgement until justified evidence is available, and helps us make evidence-based decisions that avoid unwanted outcomes.

Practicing skepticism involves fact-checking, being aware of biases, asking good questions, and more. And, it is all especially relevant with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a powerful yet complex technology. Understanding AI and practicing skepticism can help us use it responsibly, productively, and safely.

Join me as I explore trust, examine risk, promote skepticism, offer practical ways to develop critical thinking, and show how all these ideas apply to AI and your context.

NOTE: If you and your audience is not interested in AI, all AI-related elements of this talk can be removed so that the focus is strictly/only on Trust, Risk, Skepticism, and Critical Thinking.