Archives For conference

In my php[tek] keynote, “How to Get There”, I make several references to books, cognitive psychology, TED talks, dead Austro-Hungarian writers, and 1980’s television dramas. For those interested in pursuing any of these (especially “L.A. Law”), and to give due credit to my influences, here are the things I named.

(Separately, you can see the slides at SpeakerDeck. The video was recorded, but I’m not sure when that will be posted.)

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My goal today is to finish the rough draft of the two presentations I’ll be giving at php[tek] in Chicago next week:
How to Get There (keynote)
Faster Web Development with Yii 2 (technical)
In trying to finish up these presentations today–a full 10 and 11 days before I give each presentation (respectively), I’m reminded of the myriad benefits of finishing the presentations you’re giving way, way, WAY earlier than you’re probably used to.

I’ve been to conferences where there’s a dedicated speaker room, and there’s undoubtedly many presenters in there, actively working on completing their presentation, even up until the time the presentation is given. At other conferences, I’ve seen presenters in the hallways, or in the backs of other presentation rooms, working away. Frankly, if you’re still working on your presentation while at the conference, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s why you should have your presentations finished way, way, WAY earlier than you’re probably already doing it…

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php[tek] 2014 Keynotes

March 28, 2014

I’m quite happy to say that I’ll be one of two keynote speakers at php[tek] 2014! The opening keynote is from Terry Chay, Director of Features Engineering for Wikimedia Foundation. He’ll be discussing the technology challenges faced by Wikipedia. On the second morning, I’ll relay an inspiring story about how to get where you want to be in your career, based upon my own experiences.

The conference takes place in the great city of Chicago (well, just outside of the city), from May 21st to the 23rd, with training and tutorial days preceding the conference itself. You can read on to get more details about the two keynotes, and don’t forget to check the full schedule and speaker list on the php[tek] website to see all the other great talks that are being offered.

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Join Me at php[tek] 2014!

February 14, 2014

I’m extremely happy to say that I’ll be one of the speakers at php[tek] 2014 this May in Chicago, Illinois! php[tek] is one of the best-regarded PHP conferences around, and this year you’ll again find an all-star line-up (plus me). The conference itself runs for 2.5 days, from May 21st to the 23rd, with one additional tutorial day and a training day (on the 20th and 19th, respectively).

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On January 30th, 2014, I’ll be presenting “Using, and Learning From, Stripe“, at the online eCommerce Web Summit. This is one of several conferences put together by the awesome folks behind php[architect]. Mine is one of four presentations that are part of this online e-commerce conference:

Tickets start at $39 for the recording only, and $49 for the live (online) attendance. And you will be able to ask questions during the live presentation!

There are two thrusts to my specific presentation. About two-thirds of the content will explain how to use Stripe to accept payments online. I’ll cover both one-time charges and recurring billing. Along the way, I’ll emphasize best practices and any applicable tips and tricks.

In the last third of the presentation, I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned in my few months at Stripe. I’ve organized the ideas into three categories: technical, structural, and personal. The technical and structural lessons are intended to help you design your product and run your business. The personal lessons are my way of sharing what it’s been like to work for an organization of Stripe’s calibre, with such amazing coworkers.

I think it’ll be a great afternoon of online e-commerce talks, and I hope you’ll consider joining in. Let me know if you have any specific questions or thoughts about it.