DevSum Studios
Conversations with the minds shaping tech
The conversations that started at DevSum 2025 continue.
In DevSum Studios, we revisit the stage and dive deeper with our speakers and community to explore what’s next in AI, cloud, and software development.
The Web Is Still the Most Open Platform We Have
Lemon shares an infectious enthusiasm for the web as a creative, open space where anyone can build and experiment freely. They highlight modern CSS features like container queries and the :has() selector, which make layouts more powerful and flexible than ever before. Above all, Lemon celebrates the spirit of the web — a platform where curiosity and accessibility still drive innovation.
Connection Is the Foundation of Resilience
Christina Aldan shares how embracing uncertainty and building strong social connections can turn adversity into opportunity. She emphasizes that resilience grows through curiosity, diverse perspectives, and mentorship — both giving and receiving. Her message is clear: stay open, stay connected, and you’ll keep growing, both personally and professionally.
You Don’t Need Permission to Talk to Your Users
Dean Schuster urges developers to close the gap between technical work and real user needs by spending time with users and watching them interact with what they build.
He explains that true UX improvement starts with fixing the basics — speed and reliability — before adding features. Dean’s core message: find what you love, build what people love, and never stop learning from the people who use your products.
Automation Won’t Replace You — If You Stay Human
April Yoho, senior developer advocate at GitHub, reminds us that as AI and automation evolve, communication and context remain our most valuable skills. She emphasizes that tools like AI don’t eliminate human roles — they amplify them when used wisely.
Her advice: stay curious, learn how to guide the technology, and never lose the human connection that makes great teams thrive.
Software Is Art — Not Engineering
David Whitney challenges the idea of software as rigid engineering. In his talk, he explores how over-design and endless complexity make systems fragile — and argues for smaller, more intentional design rooted in human creativity.
For David, building software is a form of art: a way to understand and shape the world. His message to developers? Create with care, keep it human, and never stop making things.
Great Architects Don’t Have All the Answers
Blaise Stewart explains how software architecture has evolved from rigid design plans to a more collaborative, agile practice. He believes great architects stand out by embracing ambiguity, listening actively, and helping teams find clarity together — not by knowing everything.
You Don’t Need a Math Degree to Understand Encryption
Eli Holderness demystifies asymmetric encryption and shows that developers can grasp its beauty without a formal maths background. She debunks myths around rolling your own crypto and quantum threats, encouraging confidence, curiosity, and informed decision-making in the world of cryptography.
Making Distributed Development Effortless
Chris Klug shares how .NET Aspire simplifies running distributed applications locally — turning complex environments into one-click experiences. He sees its biggest benefit in reducing friction and boosting developer joy, while his own career continues to be driven by curiosity and a love of learning.
Curiosity Is the Key to Resilient Apps
Aurora Schaaf explores how React Router v7’s loader pattern and route-module approach reshape how developers think about client-server interaction. She shows how blending server and browser frameworks builds more resilient apps — and reminds developers to stay curious and open to new tools.
Reliability isn’t free — but it’s worth it.
Chris Ayres explains why teams often overlook reliability when trying to save costs — and how that choice comes back to hurt them later. He urges architects to design for the business they actually have, not the biggest one they can imagine. Chris also shares his optimism about mentoring the next generation of developers in an AI-driven world.
The Gotchas That Make You a Better Developer
Carl Franklin — veteran developer, musician, and host of .NET Rocks! — shares the pitfalls hidden in Blazor web apps for .NET 8 & 9. His talk highlights the subtle design decisions that trip up even experienced devs — and why understanding them matters. Beyond the code, Carl reminds us that curiosity and creativity keep the craft alive: “I still get up at night to write code — that’s how I know I still love it.”
Remember — Nobody Writes Bad Code on Purpose
Dylan Beattie takes us on a journey through the early days of the web — from crimping network cables to designing entire systems from scratch. In his signature mix of humor and insight, he reminds us that every piece of legacy code was once someone’s best solution with the tools they had. His message to developers today: show empathy, stay curious, and never forget that behind every line of code, there’s a story.