Method Conference Saturday, October 12th, 2024 in Springfield, MO

Check-in booth will be available at the top of the stairs headed into the IDEA loft. We will be serving breakfast burritos, assorted fruits and coffee.

Product owners and stakeholders love to ask about performance. “Is the app fast? How fast?” What do those questions even mean? Are they interested in the number of transactions per second? The time for the page to load? How many users it can support at once? Performance testing is a much broader topic than just being able to say an application is “fast” or “slow.” There is load testing, stress testing, and soak testing. You can measure transaction times, concurrency, and capacity. You can address some performance issues with more systems, others with more memory or faster processors or a better network. It all depends on what you mean by "How fast?" Join Gene Gotimer as he showcases open source tools like JMeter and Gatling to measure different types of performance testing. He'll also discuss how Firefox and Chrome can show what the user experience is like in terms of performance. You will leave with a better understanding of what performance testing is, as well as some tools to get started implementing it in your delivery pipeline.

Join us as we explore the transformative potential of diverse perspectives, collaboration, and the wisdom of crowds. In this engaging talk, we'll dive into the benefits of surrounding ourselves with people who possess different skills, experiences, and knowledge. We'll examine how embracing intellectual humility and being open to learning from others can lead to groundbreaking insights and innovative solutions.
By the end of this talk, you'll be inspired to embrace intellectual humility, appreciate the wealth of knowledge that surrounds you, and understand the true power of collaboration in our ever-evolving world.

This workshop aims to demystify the process of creating a simple IoT (Internet of Things) device, making it accessible even for those without an electrical engineering background. The goal is to provide practical motivation and a hands-on experience that highlights how powerful and achievable technology can be when broken down into simple steps. This aligns with the conference theme of “Invest In Yourself and Hone Your Craft” by empowering attendees to explore and innovate within the realm of IoT.

Workshop Description:  
Participants will embark on a journey to build a basic IoT device from scratch. This workshop will not delve deeply into the intricacies of electrical engineering but will focus on providing a clear, step-by-step guide that demonstrates the simplicity and power of IoT technology. Attendees will gain practical skills and an appreciation for how these devices can be integrated into various applications.

Workshop Structure:

1. Introduction to IoT and Hardware Basics 
   • Overview of IoT and its applications. 
   • Introduction to the hardware components and tools. 
2. Design and Planning  
   
   • Step-by-step breakdown of the device creation process. 
   • Planning the device functionality and choosing components. 
3. Programming and Connectivity 
   • Basics of programming the device. 
   • Setting up connectivity and testing the device. 
4. Ordering the board
   • Compose all part selections
   • Export and upload files to the board manufacturer
5. Wrap-Up and Next Steps 
   • Review of key learnings and Q&A. 
   • Discussion of potential applications and further learning resources.
     
     

Outcomes:  
By the end of the workshop, each participant will have:

• Designed and ordered their own IoT device. 
• Gained confidence in their ability to work with hardware and IoT technology. 
• Received a custom-made PCB delivered to their doorstep post-conference.

This workshop not only equips attendees with practical skills but also serves as a life lesson in breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps, fostering a mindset of continuous learning and innovation.

What happens when your application opens upwards of 50k connections to a single
destination? Short answer - connect() syscall becomes slow. Cloudflare found out the
hard way.

Through this talk we would like to share our story of what we have learned about
connect() implementation for TCP in Linux, both its strong and weak sides. How
connect() latency changes under pressure, and how to open connection so that the
syscall latency is deterministic and time-bound.

In this talk we would like to cover:

• Why Cloudflare services sometimes experience pressure, where we need to open
  lots of connections to just one destination.
• How we have been avoiding the connect() latency pitfall so far, and why it is
  no longer a viable option.
• Our efforts to benchmark connect() syscall and characterize its latency as the
  the number of open connections increases.
• Existing difficulties in tracing and monitoring connect() performance at scale
  in a production environment.
• A look at how connect() is implemented in Linux for TCP; its evolution and
  previous attempts dealing with high-latency under pressure.
• How to control how connect() takes with existing Linux APIs - recipes for how
  to open TCP connections with predictable syscall latency.

Yes, And. Two words that form the foundation for performing good improvisational comedy. These same two words applied in the IT and software development world will sharpen teamwork and collaboration. Who knew? Using numerous stories and examples along with audience interaction exercises, this session teaches leaders how to create a team that practices open communication and energy accountability. Thinking “Yes, And” builds a team culture that listens and celebrates diverse opinions and ideas. Laugh and learn and apply "Yes And" thinking to exceed your organizational goals.

ATTENDEES WILL LEARN HOW TO:

• Utilize “Yes, And” thinking to exceed your team’s goals
• Create an organizational environment that listens, affirms and builds
• Develop trust among team members
• Turn your team into a collaborative and accountable ensemble

This session will be held in the IDEA loft.

Join Co-Founder and CTO of you.com Bryan McCann, as he engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Founder and CEO of Midwestern Matt Johnson. As a leading researcher in deep learning and natural language processing, Bryan has dedicated his work to advancing AI in ways that complement and empower human creativity and understanding. In this session, Bryan and Matt will explore the cutting edge of human-AI collaboration, discussing the latest breakthroughs, ethical considerations, and transformative potential of this evolving relationship. Attendees will gain insights into the future of AI as a collaborative partner, rather than a replacement for human intelligence and creativity.

Lunch will be served in the IDEA loft. We will be serving Firehouse subs along with salads, chips and cookies.

As a developer, I'm comfortable looking at logs in the console. Maybe I can search through production logs. But I want more.

I want to make my code faster, make is scale better, and nix those production incidents before a customer notices. I want to see my code producing value, to know where it fits in the wider business. I want to be more important.

Observability is bigger than logs. It includes graphs that show performance distributions, traces that show integrations and dependencies, and service levels that represent value. Go deeper here, and you gain more power than code alone can give you.

This talk will demonstrate development and deployment with the wider business perspective in mind, and impart skills from Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) that supercharge your coding.

Dive into the world of AI and enhance your technical skills by learning to design and implement a generative AI chatbot capable of querying and answering questions about dynamic, real-time data. This session demonstrates strategies for building simple, yet powerful tools that empower all users to interact with a variety of datasets. Designed to hone your AI crafting skills, this talk shows how easily you can build practical AI applications for yourself and your audience.

This workshop aims to demystify the process of creating a simple IoT (Internet of Things) device, making it accessible even for those without an electrical engineering background. The goal is to provide practical motivation and a hands-on experience that highlights how powerful and achievable technology can be when broken down into simple steps. This aligns with the conference theme of “Invest In Yourself and Hone Your Craft” by empowering attendees to explore and innovate within the realm of IoT.

Workshop Description:  
Participants will embark on a journey to build a basic IoT device from scratch. This workshop will not delve deeply into the intricacies of electrical engineering but will focus on providing a clear, step-by-step guide that demonstrates the simplicity and power of IoT technology. Attendees will gain practical skills and an appreciation for how these devices can be integrated into various applications.

Workshop Structure:

1. Introduction to IoT and Hardware Basics 
   • Overview of IoT and its applications. 
   • Introduction to the hardware components and tools. 
2. Design and Planning  
   
   • Step-by-step breakdown of the device creation process. 
   • Planning the device functionality and choosing components. 
3. Programming and Connectivity 
   • Basics of programming the device. 
   • Setting up connectivity and testing the device. 
4. Ordering the board
   • Compose all part selections
   • Export and upload files to the board manufacturer
5. Wrap-Up and Next Steps 
   • Review of key learnings and Q&A. 
   • Discussion of potential applications and further learning resources.
     
     

Outcomes:  
By the end of the workshop, each participant will have:

• Designed and ordered their own IoT device. 
• Gained confidence in their ability to work with hardware and IoT technology. 
• Received a custom-made PCB delivered to their doorstep post-conference.

This workshop not only equips attendees with practical skills but also serves as a life lesson in breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps, fostering a mindset of continuous learning and innovation.

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Utilizing Generative AI will make us accelerate getting started Mobile Apps Development.
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Generative AI like ChatGPT is a very powerful tool in app development. Especially, it's useful for Code generation, Code Review, Refactoring and Modernization, Debugging, and Test case generation.

In this session, I'll explain how to start Mobile App Development with Generative AI in concrete steps. Specifically, I'll cover the following topics:

• Basic Steps for starting Flutter Apps Development: Detailed guidance from choosing tools to setting up the development environment
• Specific Method: how to utilize Generative AI for Apps Development with the demonstration
• Concrete Code Examples: Practical that actually works

In this session, participants will gain actionable knowledge and skills to apply directly to their projects, enhancing their ability to develop mobile/Flutter apps with Generative AI.

Developers are bombarded with technical decisions every day. What language should I learn? What framework should I use? What software will make my life easier? The list goes on and on. A simple decision can have rippling effects in your organization, both good and bad. Technical decision making isn’t so much about which tool to pick, rather what problem to solve. In this presentation, we explore various approaches to technical decision making, including techniques for gathering and evaluating information, strategies for managing uncertainty and risk, and methods for involving and engaging team members. We also discuss best practices for evaluating the success and effectiveness of technical decisions. The aim is to provide a practical guide for technical leaders looking to improve their decision making skills and make more effective technical decisions.

Knowledge is power, but is it if you're not using it?

What if the application you delivered to your customers was extremenly intelligent? It could retrieve, analyze and use the massive amounts of data that businesses are generating today at an astronimcal rate.

Analyze business deals, conduct market research, estimate and predict potential issues, better monetize your product, and so much more. These things provide direct benefits to your company. Churning through that data by hand doesn't. Enter Azure Machine Learning.

In this session you will learn to how to integrate Azure Machine Learning into your existing applications and workflows with REST services. You will learn a modular, maintainable solution to empowering your users with the business intelligence that only Azure Machine Learning can easily provide.

In the vast tech landscape, a silent forest conceals a remarkable group of individuals known as the Autistics. We navigate our unique world, driven by an unwavering coding passion.

Once voiceless, some of us have emerged as tech luminaries, vital to the industry's progress. Major tech firms now recognize the Autistics significance.

Then, what connects us to Tech History? Why do exploring code lines appeal more to us than living human experiences?

During this talk, we will explore the untold Autistic narrative in tech and envision a harmonious future where both autistic and tech worlds unite.

This is our unsung history, waiting to be heard.

Join us in the IDEA loft to top of the event with an assortment of door prizes.

We've got:

• Airpods 4
• Raspberry PI 5 8GB 
• Portable monitors
• Battery banks
• 512GB Flash Drives
• Legos
• Amazon and Andys gift cards

Every session you provide feedback on will be considered an entry to win one of these prizes. We'll also add entries for filling out our post conference survey.