TechFest 2024

Written in 2001, the Agile Manifesto has become a successful framework in software development, quickly spreading from the US to the rest of the world. The manifesto was authored by 17 individuals, 14 of whom are American, and all of whom are male from Western countries.

However, most software development teams today are far more diverse than the original authors, both in terms of gender and culture. Additionally, many companies operate globally, with teams collaborating across borders, cultures, and languages.

This talk aims to provide tools for Agile practitioners to adapt their implementation to a broader cultural context. Using Erin Meyer’s “Culture Map” framework, we will explore how cultural differences related to feedback, persuasion, and hierarchy impact team dynamics and suggest tools to make Agile practices more inclusive.

In this session, we'll provide an overview of Azure OpenAI and Azure AI Search services to demonstrate how to build your own ChatGPT-like experience using your own data leveraging the Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) pattern. This session will include some hands-on coding and a live demo of this solution.

This 35-minute interactive session will guide participants through the essentials of effective networking, tailored for those who find it challenging or uncomfortable. Here's what to expect:

Introduction and Personal Stories:
Sunnie Fenk will share personal stories illustrating how networking has significantly transformed her personal and professional lives. These anecdotes will highlight the power of networking and set the stage for the session.

Advice and Suggestions:
Practical advice and strategies will be provided to make networking easier for those who aren't natural extroverts. Sunnie will offer actionable tips on how to approach networking events, initiate conversations, and build connections.

Interactive Networking Activity:
Participants will engage in a small group activity designed to practice networking skills in a supportive and low-pressure environment. This hands-on exercise will help build confidence and reinforce the techniques discussed.

Benefits of Networking:
A discussion on the numerous benefits that can arise from effective networking, including career opportunities, personal growth, and expanded social circles. Sunnie will emphasize the importance of persistence and resilience, encouraging participants to keep attending events despite any initial setbacks.

Q&A Session:
The session will conclude with an open Q&A, allowing participants to ask questions and seek further advice on specific networking challenges they may face.

 Participants will leave the session equipped with practical tools and newfound confidence to thrive in a socially connected world.

Few teams ever start out great. They have skill imbalances, power dynamics, lack resources or time, and different personalities. Growing outstanding teams takes time but, more importantly, regular continuous improvement activities. One of the most useful and powerful of these activities is the Retrospective. It doesn't matter what industry you're in or what your team makeup looks like; if you've got a group of humans working together towards a shared outcome - you should be running retrospectives with them. Taking teams from Bad to Good, or Good to Great, can happen but it will not happen accidentally. In this session you will learn the skills necessary avoid the classic Retro Rut. Instead, you can craft the right retro for you team and avoid any of the pitfalls that damage the team's improvement.