Stop Chasing Unicorns and Rainbows: The Dangers of Survivorship Bias in Tech

Behind every successful tech unicorn are failed ventures, burned out IT professionals, and unseen struggles. However, that’s not what’s seen from the outside. It’s easy to get caught up in the promise of these tech companies’ high valuations and overnight success - the unicorns and rainbows - but this kind of thinking leads to the dangers of survivorship bias.

In this talk, we'll explore the ways in which survivorship bias can distort our perceptions of what it takes to succeed in tech and discuss strategies for overcoming it. We'll delve into the role that luck and external factors can play in success, and how to take a more realistic view of the path to success.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, tech professional, or just a dreamer, this talk will provide valuable insights to avoid the pitfalls of survivorship bias. Don't get caught chasing unicorns and rainbows – join me to learn how to navigate the tech industry with an unbiased perspective.

Given at DevOpsDays Amsterdam 2023

Minimal APIs vs Controller-Based APIs: Finding the Best Fit for Your .NET Projects

Since the introduction of Minimal APIs in .NET 6, there have been discussions in the .NET community about whether to adopt Minimal APIs or stay with the classic controller-based web API. But which one is actually the best for your day-to-day development?

In this session, we'll compare both approaches across key areas such as routing, dependency injection, model binding, and performance. You'll learn when to use the lightweight Minimal APIs, and when to opt for the structure and scalability of a controller-based API.

Through demos, we'll build the same API using both approaches, demonstrating the differences between the two options. Whether you're building small cloud-based services or complex, large enterprise applications, this session will help you choose the right tool for the job.

2025 Is Here: What the new European Accessibility Act Means for Web Developers

2025 is here, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is now in full force, requiring digital products and services to be accessible to all users. But what does this mean for web developers?

In this session, we’ll break down the key requirements of the EAA and explain how it impacts your work. You’ll learn practical steps to ensure your web applications meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards, explore essential tools and libraries for testing your apps, and see live demonstrations of accessibility best practices. Prepare your apps for compliance and discover how accessible design improves the user experience for everyone.

Transforming .NET Projects with AI Capabilities Using Semantic Kernel

Unlock the full AI potential of your .NET applications with Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel, an SDK that enables developers to integrate advanced AI functionalities with ease. Imagine building applications that not only understand and generate natural language but also adapt dynamically to user interactions, automate complex tasks, and provide personalized experiences. Whether you're looking to develop agents or copilots, Semantic Kernel offers the tools to make it happen without requiring deep AI expertise.

In this session, we will dive into the core components of Semantic Kernel, showcasing how you can leverage agents, plugins, planners, and personas to enhance your .NET projects. Through live coding demonstrations, you'll see how to build a copilot that assists users by providing suggestions and recommendations, and then evolve it into a fully automated agent capable of handling tasks independently. We’ll cover the practical steps to integrate and customize plugins for specific skills, create planners that guide your agent’s actions, and define personas that shape your agent’s interactions and responses.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a good understanding of how to implement Semantic Kernel in your .NET applications. You'll gain the skills to start using this powerful tool to transform your development projects. Join us and discover the future of intelligent .NET development.

Azure Functions: From Zero to Hero

Imagine a world where your applications effortlessly respond to user demands, scaling up or down in real-time, without having to worry about the architecture. Meet Azure Functions – the solutions to working serverless so that your applications work even better.

In this session, we’ll explore the core of Azure Functions, covering all you need to know. From the basics to the newest features, This talk will guide you through the setup and show you the true power of this Azure feature.

You will get to learn the core concepts through hands-on demonstrations, we'll delve into the key features that make Azure Functions a game-changer. Learn how to leverage function triggers like HTTP and Queue so that you’re ready to start using Azure Functions for your applications immediately.

Whether you're an experienced Azure developer looking to embrace serverless computing or a beginner eager to stay ahead, this session is for you. Join me on this hands-on journey to unlock the potential of Azure Functions.

Modern C#: A Dive into the Community's Most Loved New Features.

Are you tired of using outdated features and techniques in your code? Do you want to keep up with the latest C# development? Join this talk to discover new features in the C# community, that you can include in your future projects.

In this talk, we will dive into Records, Pattern Matching, DateOnly, TimeOnly, Switch Expressions, and Top Level statements. We will discuss their benefits, and how they can help you improve your code in ways you never thought possible.

By the end of this talk, you will have a clear understanding of why these new features are essential for C# development and how to incorporate them into your own projects. You will leave this talk ready to take your coding skills to the next level and keep up with the latest C# features.