Developing software is akin to magic. What starts as pure thought is transformed into a virtual tool to help users achieve value and results. The most important hardware of that transformation is your brain, which was developed long before computers. What happens when a tool that evolved to help us survive on the plains of Africa is repurposed to create websites and mobile apps? What flaws are present in our brains and how do those flaws cause inefficiencies in our work and personal lives? How can we use these insights to avoid potential pitfalls?

This talk is a light, self-reflective, interactive discussion about metacognition, logical fallacies, and the cognitive biases that we all harbor, and the problems they cause in our daily lives.

I presented this talk at DevUp in 2024 and received rave reviews. I had 16 evaluations (of the 45 that were in the session) and received the following scores (on a scale of 1-5):

How well did the session meet your expectations? 4.7
How would you rate the speaker's presentation skills? 4.9
How would you rate the speaker's command of the topic? 4.9
Did the topic description match the session content? 4.7
Overall, how would you rate this session? 4.8

Comments:

"Ken provided interesting information in a comical and pleasant way!"
"Insightful and great presentation."
"Well done, very informative, kept my attention."
"This was a great session. I did not realize how many subconscious biases there are
and the ones I have experienced in past. Also, the presentation was very well put
together. You have used humor throughout which helped audience to be engaged.
This was very useful and really appreciate your time!"
"I enjoyed the way that the speaker told this story, the sessions that are different
from technical content such as this are really enjoyable."
"Very interesting. Thank you."

Thank you for your time :-)