SCNA 2012

I was lucky enough to attend the  SCNA (Software Craftsmanship North America) conference this last weekend in Chicago.  Overall, it was a fantastic experience.

The venue was great.  You really can’t get too much better than the view from the Mid-America club on the 80th floor of the Aon Center:

They also did a great job with keeping things short.  Every session was a half hour, with good breaks and interesting lightning talks and games in between.  The format really focused on getting the meat of messages across and limited filler required for sessions in longer time slots. I felt this really helped me not to feel tired (or bored!) and stay engaged and interested throughout both days of the conference.

The conference didn’t focus too much on technical detail, as it’s expected those in attendance are already focused heavily on that aspect. It really focuses on discussions centered around how we can improve ourselves and continue to elevate the standard in our craft.  It was refreshing to attend a conference that wasn’t filled with marketing fluff or heavy technology biases.

I met some good people, had some interesting discussions, learned some new things, and felt rejuvenated and motivated after.   The talks by Uncle Bob Martin and Leon Gersing were highlights for me and gave me a lot to ponder.

All in all, I would highly recommend this conference.

Hi. I'm  Mark Thiessen. I love technology, jiu-jitsu, and coffee. My opinions change over time.
I'm passionate about working with teams to learn to continuously deliver software and help ensure the valuable things are delivered incrementally and measured and improved.