In today’s fast-moving tech world, it’s easy to believe your next framework or coding skill is the key to success. But the truth is, it’s not just your code that matters — it’s you.

The reality is, many brilliant developers stall for reasons that have nothing to do with technology. Imagine instead being the developer whose ideas land first, whose presence fills the room, and whose career moves forward with momentum.

In this talk, Gary Smart — a career software engineer, best-selling author, and award-winning speaker — shares the hard-won lesson he wishes he had known 25 years ago: that human skills, combined with technical expertise, are the hidden drivers of influence, recognition, and long-term success.

With over three decades of experience coding, engineering, and leading through every major tech wave, Gary shows how his biggest breakthroughs weren’t found in a compiler, but in learning to unlock his own human edge.

You’ll discover three developer-friendly skills you can apply immediately to maximise your influence and impact:
1. How to read and lead a room so your ideas land with clarity, confidence, and authority.
2. Storytelling for developers — framing technical challenges, updates, and ideas with persuasion and impact.
3. Building self-courage and confidence to speak up, influence decisions, and ask for what you want both at work and in life.

These are the skills that separate those who quietly plateau from those who thrive as leaders and innovators. With practical tools, engaging stories, and challenges you can apply right away, this session will unlock your confidence, elevate your career, and prove that in a technical world obsessed with code, AI and automation, your humanness is your greatest advantage.