Pen Testing Human Centered Processes Using ChatGPT

In a form of chaotic good, I had my company hire "Chet Gupta" aka Chat GPT. A model software engineer with a fantastic resume and perfect answers, that doesn't exist. In this this talk we will walk through the circumstances that allowed for this to happen. We'll discuss the kinds of answers that "Chet Gupta" produced for both the technical screening process as well as the competency based interview. We'll examine the ethical and practical considerations raised by the use of AI technology in the hiring process and the subsequent need for revised them. By the end of the session attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the implications of AI in building a talent workforce.

Don’t fear the REPR

If you are an engineer who builds or maintains APIs, whether it’s a BFF, edge API or an internal layer but are lost in your own code, this session is for you. In this session we’ll take a cursory look at the Request Endpoint Response Pattern and how it enables clean code through vertical slicing. We’ll start with a primer on various architectural design patterns such as MVC, Domain Driven Design and Hexagonal/Onion Architecture and the value that each creates, as well as some drawbacks. We’ll discuss the evolution of code as it relates to the application organization and design, specifically in .NET6 minimal APIs. Then we’ll explore REPR using vanilla web application design using .NET as well as various libraries that move endpoints from the imperative to the declarative. All with an emphasis on arriving at very clean and concise code with low cognitive complexity and a high degree of maintainability. While .NET is the vehicle that we’ll learn against, this pattern of code organization also applies across the spectrum of tools like Spring, Express and NestJS.

As an overview, this session is about 45-50 minutes with examples

Intent Driven Development

This session is for anyone in an IT organization that suffers from communication breakdown or is struggling to organize around a monolith to microservices transformation. Whether you’re a Product Owner, User Experience Creator, Technical Manager or a Software Engineer, the way we communicate is deeply embedded in our practices and ultimately, the value we try to create. In this session we’ll explore the value that can be found at the intersection of Agility, Behavioral Driven Development and Domain Driven Design. We’ll explore how the natural language serves an important role in each stage of the cycle, practices that can be implemented and how to hack the language using AI tools like ChatGPT to create automation opportunities. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to walk away with an awareness of various velocity accelerating optimization opportunities through the use of ubiquitous language.

How I tricked my company into hiring Chat GPT

In a form of chaotic good, I had my company hire "Chet Gupta" aka Chat GPT. A model software engineer with a fantastic resume and perfect answers, that doesn't exist. In this this talk we will walk through the circumstances that allowed for this to happen. We'll discuss the kinds of answers that "Chet Gupta" produced for both the technical screening process as well as the competency based interview. We'll examine the ethical and practical considerations raised by the use of AI technology in the hiring process and the subsequent need for revised them. By the end of the session attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the implications of AI in building a talent workforce.

Head First Into Developer Docs

Have you ever stopped to “chef’s kiss” engineering documentation on a weekend? Paused in awe to reflect on the care and intentionality of an API practice? Don't worry, I did so you won't have to. In this session we'll discuss the importance of engineering documentation for onboarding, education and attrition. We’ll look at a few stellar examples of engineering docs for what makes them great and learn a few things along the way. We'll also spend some time working through governance, scaling out, wrangling sprawl and dealing with inconsistencies. By the end of the session, you should be able to understand the importance of great engineering docs for the health and care of your teams and have some examples to refer back to for your own organizations.

The Art of Autonomy: Leading Through Constraints

Autonomy in team building is an artform in itself. When used well, its application is just as much about the negative space as the design itself. In this session we’ll talk through some real world experience I had when starting with a team of 3 engineers, scaling up to 12 teams, and the decisions we have to make in order to keep the train from veering off of the tracks. In some cases, the most healthy decision we can make is by eliminating autonomy and enforcing constraints.

We’ll talk about crafting developer portals, architectural decision records and revisiting the power of autonomy. Most importantly we’ll discuss the timing and delegation of power when leaders take their hands off the wheel and let others drive for themselves. By the end of the session, attendees will have a real world frame of reference when giving their own opportunities to scale and how to execute on it responsibly.