Why you should attend a software engineering conference
Without feeling guilty for the productivity loss of a few days without coding.
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Some day an opportunity appeared in a Slack channel at work: Attending a conference.
A question popped into my mind: Should I take it?
For sure it’s fun to do something different than everyday work. But at the same time, my team is in the middle of some projects with deadlines before the end of the year. Disconnecting from work could hurt my rhythm.
I decided to take it and here are the learnings of why and how to take these opportunities.
Why conferences can be good
Discovery
There are many topics you wouldn’t explore on your own.
Attending a conference won’t make you an expert in any of them. But you’ll get an introduction and the next steps if you decide to continue exploring
Inspiration
Sometimes being a software engineer is lonely, especially for those working remotely.
Talking to other people on the same path as you boosts your motivation.
Networking.
This shouldn’t be just a matter of getting leads.
But genuine networking. Spend time on quality conversations with people.
Branding
If nobody knows your product or service, people won’t buy it.
But even more, people won’t go and work for you.
You can’t quantify the return on investment of a conference properly. You are planting a seed in someone’s mind and they may buy or apply to your job positions years down the line.