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We are developers world congress review
posted on 24 Jul 2024 under category congress
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| Date | Language | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24.07.2024 | English | Claus Prüfer (Chief-Prüfer) | WeAreDevelopers World Congress Review |
WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2024: The IT-Prüfer Experience
Last week, on July 17th, 2024, the WeAreDevelopers World Congress kicked off in Berlin. As the name suggests, it’s all about “Developing Applications” and everything that powers this ecosystem. I was truly surprised by the scale—the number of attendees reportedly exceeded the 10,000 mark.
Our company had planned a tech talk at the event, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we couldn’t finish our requirements in time. We’re scheduled for next year—so get your tickets early!
Entering the Arena
Excitement was running high—it was my first visit to the Congress. I installed the event’s app on Tuesday and immediately received several contact requests, which I looked forward to following up before the Congress wrapped up on Friday.
I took the S-Bahn (Ring), disembarking at ICC Messe Nord. Instead of changing trains, I opted for a longer walk to Messe Süd to get my bearings around Berlin’s sprawling exhibition grounds. Passing the Messe-Nord-ICC building felt eerie—almost abandoned.
If you’re ever nearby, it’s worth a look. 
After a few more minutes, I arrived at “Main Building A,” joining a crowd moving in the same direction. Then—reality check: wrong entrance. First, you must go to the South Entrance for your badge and ID before you become an official attendee.
Arriving at the South Entrance, I walked through the corridor—everyone in high spirits, including the staff handing out badges. The weather was perfect, which boosted the mood even more.
Day 1 (Thursday): Stages, Socks & Stickers
With badge in hand, I ascended the moving stairs. Compared to other events, like AWS Summit, the atmosphere was comfortable and highly organized, with plenty of stages and an impressive crowd.
Tech Talk Hall 2 / Stage 5
Stage 5 was my first stop. My main goal: networking—freelance opportunities, project promotion. Tech talks weren’t my priority, but I paused for interesting sessions or when I needed a break.
Idealo
First up: Idealo, Germany’s price comparison engine. What were they doing at a developer congress? Pure marketing, as explained by their rep. Unexpected highlight: a pair of Idealo socks—never thought I’d leave with those!
Visit: idealo.de for the lowest tech hardware prices.
Influx Data
Influx Data showcased ultra-fast, scalable cloud databases. The website claims you can download an open-source version, but I couldn’t find it. Still, I scored a second pair of socks (database-themed!) and some stickers.
Visit: influxdata.com for big data solutions.
Valkey
Valkey is an open-source, in-memory high-performance datastore backed by the Linux Foundation—think Redis, but next-gen. Promises of innovation and community-driven development piqued my interest; I plan to test it on Minikube/Kubernetes soon.
Website: valkey.io GitHub: github.com/valkey-io/valkey
Cool swag: sticker, keychain, and USB-C adapter—thanks, Valkey team!
Pulumi
Pulumi’s booth had no giveaways—unacceptable! I was hoping for socks, but only got a flyer. However, their promise of streamlined cloud infrastructure management and improved handling of temporary auth tokens is intriguing.
Website: pulumi.com
Dynatrace
Dynatrace went all-out with a “stargate” challenge. Complete the quest, collect stamps, and win a t-shirt—clever marketing and friendly staff. Shoutout to Mert and Sveva for insights into my new OOP JavaScript design approach.
Docker
Docker’s team rocked the coolest t-shirts—but strict member-only policy meant no shirts for attendees. Even boasting DJ credentials couldn’t score me one! Still, I had a great chat about dev tattoos and got a Docker cube.
Website: docker.io
Coming soon: “How to build a devops-friendly Docker app update strategy with Debian packaging and aptly Mirror.”
SEW-Eurodrive
SEW-Eurodrive blends classic and agile engineering. After chatting with Ruben, I planned a follow-up for deeper technical insights.
Website: sew-eurodrive.de
Red Hat
Red Hat was a must-visit. I received a red hat (now gifted away) and learned about OpenShift for Kubernetes management—no more headaches.
Break Time: Rest, Refreshments & Reality Checks
When the sun’s out, take a break. No company offered a mini-fridge with cocktails—something to propose for next year!
Main Stage
The main stage was an excellent place to recharge—great acoustics, plenty of seating.
Coffee
Resting inside or outside on Floor 1, Main Building A, I found first-class coffee at the end of the corridor (sadly not visible in my video).
Catering
The catering was disappointing—high prices, poor quality. My attempt at a “Mexican” burrito was a culinary low point. However, a bagel in Hall 2 was surprisingly good.
For real Mexican food in Berlin, go to “Taco Love” at Schönhauser Allee / Eberswalder Straße.
Exceptional service: lime in my mineral water and ice cubes at a few stands.
Day 2 (Friday): Appointments & IT Trends
Friday was all about appointments with recruiting specialists, reflecting the current IT trend: “Manpower-as-a-Service” (MPaaS).
Sosafe
SoSafe offers psychological training to help employees avoid malware links. Layer 8 (the user) remains the weakest link in security.
Website: sosafe-awareness.com
Neon
Neon brings scalable Postgres to Kubernetes, with features like auto-scaling, branching, and lightning-fast setup times. Open source and sticker swag—what’s not to love?
Website: neon.tech GitHub: github.com/neondatabase/neon
Agiledrop
Agiledrop (Slovenia) offers PHP and JS developers on demand—and fitness bands as swag. Promoting developer health echoes Bauhaus’s 1919 sports-arts ethos.
Website: agiledrop.com
Aerospike
Aerospike promises sub-millisecond cloud database queries and infinite scalability. After a chat with a core developer, testing awaits.
Website: aerospike.com
Positional
Advanced SEO and marketing services from the UK. The founder offered deep insights into business growth—worth considering for expansion.
Website: positional.com
RWE
A chat with an RWE Chief Engineer led to a discussion about my C++ web application server and HTTP/1.2 framework. While not production-ready, I’m committed to TCP over UDP (sorry, HTTP/3).
HTTP/1.2 Project: github.com/WEBcodeX1/http-1.2 x0 Framework: github.com/WEBcodeX1/x0
Bonus: metal cocktail straws—mini-fridge proposal for next year’s marketing!
Website: rwe.com
SEW-Eurodrive #2
Follow-up with a SEW Eurodrive data scientist focused on Python and data analysis. While Python’s GIL is a challenge for multithreading, it excels for recursive JSON operations. Multiprocessing and cloud approaches offer workarounds.
The best programming language is the one you’re fastest and most comfortable with—except for massive codebases, where it does matter.
E.ON
Germany’s energy giant is hiring developers. After discussing my career, I might have an opportunity in their space.
Website: eon.com
Expert Minds
Expert Minds combines MPaaS with an AI-driven scoring engine to match developer skills to project needs. The CEO shared market insights and future trends—watch this space.
Website: xprt-minds.com
OPNTEC
The only embedded project at the event! A friendly CEO introduced me to their hardware; ideas for porting my C++ application server to their platform are already brewing. Ethernet module and a small IP stack may be required—challenge accepted.
Website: opntec.com
Outside Stage
A cozy outdoor stage—small but charming.
Summary: Cloud, Open Source & The Next Big Things
With AWS dominating the cloud market for years, alternatives are rising—fueling hybrid cloud adoption and empowering on-premise setups.
Bonus: Improved security via proper IP segmentation.
The WeAreDevelopers app (powered by Swapcard) was a standout networking tool.
Open Source: The New Standard
Open source is now mainstream among enterprises. It’s essential to test new implementations thoroughly before production and to hire the right experts for deployment and optimization—SLA included.
Missed Opportunities
Suse seems to be pivoting to Kubernetes—perhaps a missed chance to lead the market?
Remember YAST? Yet Another Supreme Tisaster.
Security
Security wasn’t a major focus at the event, though the “Writing an exploit using AI” workshop caught my eye—unfortunately, time didn’t permit a visit.
The Next IT Hypes: 2024 & Beyond
Watch for these products to make headlines next year:
- Neon
- Valkey
- Dynatrace
Stay tuned for more reviews and deep dives into the tech shaping tomorrow’s IT landscape!