Two Talks, Countless Conversations: My KCDC 2025 Experience
I just came back from KCDC 2025 and wow what a week. This was my first time at KCDC, and I had the chance to give not just one but two talks, eat some fantastic BBQ and catch up with old and new friends.
After sixteen years, it’s obvious the organizers know how to put on a show. The whole thing was a blast from start to finish, every single person I met gave it everything they had! Kansas City was an amazing backdrop for it all.
Talk #1: But I Just Want to Write Code…
This one was for everyone who has ever asked themselves:
- “Do I really have to become a manager to grow?”
- “What if I’m happy just writing code?”
My message was simple: you don’t have to leave coding behind to have a meaningful, successful career.
I shared my experience of mentoring someone who “just wanted to write code” and how that lead to me sharing all my stories of switching jobs, toxic workplaces, fantastic managers, accidentally becoming a manager, and much more while still, for the most part, being happy and getting to write code! The room was full of nods and laughs, which tells me I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thank you all the fantastic people who came to listen ❤️
Talk #2: Software Archeology – Excavating Ancient Code
For my second session, we grabbed our shovels and headed into the world of legacy code.
We dug into the question of what legacy code really is (maybe just “code you didn’t write”), debated which ruins are worth preserving and which belong in the museum, and talked about how treating old systems like archaeological digs can actually reveal a lot about how our organizations really work.
The audience stories afterward could’ve filled another session, even if my favorite was the comment, “This talk solved FIVE of my problems.”.
Download the Software Archeology Template here!
Conference Highlights
Between my own sessions, I had the chance to listen to some fantastic speakers, here is a few of them.
Cory House – Work Now, Sync Later: Is Local First the Future of Web Apps?
I left with a changed view of local first and a note to dig into sync engines as soon as I have some spare time.Glenn F. Henriksen – Practical Advice for Building Glorious Monoliths
Even though I consider myself pretty experienced here, I walked away with fresh ideas, especially the bit about isolated module contracts. Good stuff.Brandon Minnick – Correcting Common Async/Await Mistakes in .NET 9
Not a lot of surprises for me, but it was reassuring (and entertaining) to know my Async/Await code is not too bad 😁.Arthur Doler – Digging into the Matrix: Practicing Code Archaeology
Funny twist: Arthur and I had nearly identical talk titles but totally different talks. He zoomed in on empathy and reading unknown code; I tackled enterprise architecture and visibility. Honestly, running them back-to-back would’ve been perfect.
There were many more amazing speakers and of course the hallway track, the in-between moments of meeting people, talking about code, software architecture, AI, DevOps and sometimes just cars. Such conversations are often the best part of a conferences for me, and KCDC delivered plenty of them.
Wrapping Up
Super happy I went to KCDC 2025. Two talks, countless conversations, and a lot of BBQ later, I left feeling both inspired and grateful.
If you’ve ever thought about stepping on stage yourself, watch out for next year’s call for papers. And if you want a hand shaping your first talk, reach out—I’m always happy to help.
Until next time, Kansas City. You were wonderful.
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📅 No upcoming talks scheduled at the moment, but check back soon!