Striving for simplicity @ ITkonekt 2023 conference

Determining whether to attend IT Konekt isn’t a complex decision if you’ve been there before. Known for its insightful speakers and compelling topics, the choice to return becomes straightforward.

The best conference vibe

I was delighted to be a part of IT Konekt 2023. Despite being held at the soon-to-be-demolished Hala 5 Sajma, the conference space was transformed into an inviting and lively hub, unlike any conference I've been in recent years. Both sponsors and attendees thoroughly enjoyed the vibrant booth area.

Out of the stellar line-up, Hadi Hariri’s talk stood out and left a lasting impact on me. 

Hadi Hariri - Complexity Strikes Back!

Hadi’s talk was a captivating mix of tech stand-up comedy and introspection, providing a self-reflective mirror to our industry. It traced the evolution from creating simple websites for documentation 30 years ago to today's intricate technology ecosystem developed for essentially the same goal.

As a developer, Hadi's idea of keeping software development simple really clicked with me. I found myself nodding in agreement with most points raised. His words were a powerful reminder, especially when new technologies can be tempting.

CV Driven Development

Hadi humorously highlighted the concept of “CV Driven Development,” which, while amusing, carries a serious undertone. This term encapsulates the trend of developers rushing to acquire the latest technologies or frameworks, not necessarily because they solve the problem at hand but to add a buzzword to their CVs.

Such an approach seems misplaced, focusing on padding CVs over crafting functional, efficient, and reliable solutions. This trend is particularly evident when interviewing junior developers. I’ve encountered many who are adept at using the latest frameworks but struggle to grasp core technologies.

For example, a front-end developer knows a lot about React but struggles to explain where we can write CSS code or what CSS even means. Or one JS "guru" saying, “Semantic HTML tags are when the grammar of the code is good.” Same for the backend devs, Laravel developer not knowing to write raw SQL query that joins 2 tables.

Over-engineering solutions

As developers, it's not uncommon to over-complicate solutions out of a desire to solve complex problems. While tackling these can be exciting, the goal should always be to devise the most straightforward solution that gets the job done.

Recently, I was tasked with developing a website where the temptation to use popular JavaScript and PHP frameworks was high. But, realizing they were overkill, I opted for vanilla languages and file storage, avoiding any JS or PHP packages. This approach made the development process more efficient and the website easier to maintain. I’m now challenging my team and myself to try this on a large-scale project too.

Loss of focus on user needs

In the rush to adopt the latest tech, we risk losing sight of the user’s needs. Keeping in mind that software is built to solve real-world problems can help guide our decisions toward crafting user-friendly solutions. We must center our decisions on user needs, selecting the right tools, languages, and methodologies accordingly.

Wrap-up

Hadi's talk was a timely reminder for developers. Despite the rapid pace of our industry, our ultimate goal remains consistent - solving problems effectively. Embracing simplicity doesn't mean halting our learning; it means consciously prioritizing simplicity, functionality, and user needs in our learning and problem-solving journey.

Interestingly, it seemed as though the organizers of IT Konekt 2023 had taken a page out of Hadi's book. They kept things simple, focusing on the attendees' needs and successfully delivering a superb conference without falling into the trap of over-engineering. In a sense, they served as a perfect real-world example of the principles that Hadi so eloquently laid out in his talk.

IT Konekt 2023 was impeccably organized, offering excellent service and refreshments. It was a learning-rich experience packed with networking opportunities, making it a must-attend event for professionals in the IT industry. The essence of the conference was perfectly captured in the principle of simplicity, demonstrating that sometimes, less indeed can be more.

Milomir Dragović