Nerando Johnson

Posted on Sep 3 • Edited on Sep 5

Carolina Codes 2025: My First-Time Speaker Experience

#community #ai #techtalks #career

Prelude

What is Carolina Code Conference?

Carolina Code Conference is a tech conference that brings together developers, engineers, and technology enthusiasts from across the south east and beyond. Think of it as a gathering where people who build software and work with technology come together to share what they've learned, built and discover new approaches to solving problems. The conference covers everything from fundamental programming concepts to cutting-edge AI, with a focus on practical knowledge you can actually use in your work. I personally loved the emphasis on cyber security and the polyglotic approach to the content delivered. This year's conference was held at the magnificent Flywheel Coworking building in Greenville, SC.

My First-Time Speaker Journey

Stepping onto the Carolina Codes stage as a first-time speaker was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking as I was outside of comfort zone of Atlanta The welcoming atmosphere and supportive community made the experience far more comfortable than I had anticipated, also, lock picking . The organizers and sponsors did an exceptional job of creating an environment where both seasoned speakers and newcomers could share their expertise and passion for technology.

Edit: I missed this, my talk was on the Importance of READMEs

Location, Facilities, and Experience

The venue provided excellent facilities that enhanced the overall conference experience. The lunch was well-organized and delicious on both days, offering plenty of opportunities for attendees to network and discuss the sessions among other things. The networking events throughout the day were particularly valuable, creating natural opportunities for meaningful conversations between talks. The later networking sessions extended these connections, allowing deeper discussions about the technical topics presented during the day.

Outstanding Talks and Insights

Matt "Kelly" Williams - CEO of Sustainable IT Manifesto Foundation

Keynote: "Putting the FUN back in Fundamentals: Data Structures, Algorithms, and More!"

Kelly's keynote was both entertaining and insightful, covering several important points:

Self-hosted AI for sustainability: He explained why running your own AI models (instead of relying on cloud services like ChatGPT) is better for the environment even though it may be a little slower. Think of it like learning to and growing your own vegetables instead of buying them shipped from far away - it uses less energy overall and creates the user a new skillset
The basics still matter: Despite all the exciting new AI tools, technology is still built on fundamental concepts like algorithms (step-by-step problem-solving methods) and data structures (organized ways to store information). These basics have become way more important, not less, as technology advances.
Learning can be fun: His programming jokes about hash tables and breakfast foods showed that technical topics don't have to be boring or intimidating 👀😂😂😂😂.

Ethan Foulkes - CEO of Magic Button Lab

"10 Words for Building Software Successfully"

Ethan delivered powerful insights about software development in a concise format from a person who has had variety of positions in the software space :

The complexity paradox: "Simple is complicated and complicated is simple" - Creating something that looks simple to users often requires complex work behind the scenes. Meanwhile, over-engineered solutions might seem sophisticated but often miss what users actually need ( don't get high on your supply).
Two types of alignment: Getting your team on the same page (everyone understanding their role) is different from aligning with what users actually want (product-market fit). You need both working together to build something truly successful.
Knowing what to avoid: Great software leaders spend as much time deciding what NOT to build as what to build. Sometimes the best decision is saying no to features that would complicate the product without adding real value.

Kudos to Ethan for including live transcriptions during his presentation - an excellent accessibility feature that enhanced the experience for all attendees.

Diana Pham - Developer Advocate at Vonage

"Beyond Badges: The Biology & Psychology Behind Effective Gamification in Mobile Apps"

Diana connected psychology research with practical app development in fascinating ways:

Gaming psychology improves apps: The techniques that make video games engaging (like achievement systems, progress bars, and reward cycles) can make regular apps more enjoyable and easier to use when applied thoughtfully.
Understanding what motivates people: Different people are motivated by different things - some want to compete, others want to learn, some want gain knowledge to help others. Apps work better when they tap into these natural motivations rather than just trying to get people addicted.
Gaming evolved, didn't disappear: Older adults didn't stop playing games - they just started playing different types of games (like Wordle, crosswords, or mobile puzzles). This opens up opportunities for developers who understand these preferences.

Duncan Michel - Senior Detection Engineer

"Regex for Fun and Profit"

Duncan made regular expressions (regex) much less intimidating:

Regex becomes manageable with practice: Regular expressions might look like cryptic symbols at first (like \d{3}-\d{2}-\d{4} for Social Security numbers), but they're just a powerful way to find and match text patterns. With practice, they become a reliable tool rather than mysterious code.
Perfect for specific text problems: Regex excels at solving particular types of problems - like validating email addresses, extracting phone numbers from documents, or cleaning up messy data. It's especially useful when combined with Python scripts for automation.
Real-world security applications: Duncan showed how regex patterns can identify malicious software by recognizing suspicious code patterns - turning this text-matching tool into one of cybersecurity must have.

Sarah Matta - Software Engineer

"Number Sense for Programmers: The Hidden Math You Already Use"

Sarah revealed how much math is hidden in everyday programming:

Math is everywhere in programming: Even simple tasks like calculating sales tax, determining screen layouts, or managing user permissions involve mathematical thinking. You're doing math even when you don't realize it.
Math skills can be learned through practice: You don't need to be a math genius to be a good programmer. Mathematical thinking develops naturally as you solve programming problems - it's like building muscle through exercise.
Small math mistakes can cause big problems: She shared examples of how misunderstanding floating-point numbers (how computers handle decimals) has led to multimillion-dollar financial errors. Understanding these concepts isn't academic - it's essential for building reliable software.

Doug Cone - Senior Full Stack Developer & Professional Problem Solver

"Beyond Play: Modding Games for Real-World Tech Skills"

Doug's journey from casual gamer to professional developer was truly inspiring:

Game modding can become a real career: Modding games (creating custom content or modifications) isn't just a hobby - He walked it leading to substantial income and professional opportunities. Think of it like learning to build custom cars in your garage, then becoming a professional car restorer.
The modder mindset transfers to professional work: The curiosity and problem-solving approach needed for modding - figuring out how systems work, breaking them down, and rebuilding them - is exactly what software professionals do.
Skills that work across industries: The technical abilities you develop through modding (coding, debugging, systems thinking, creativity) apply to many software fields beyond gaming, including software development, cybersecurity, data analysis and AI.

Trey Grainger - Founder, AI-Powered Search

"AI-Powered Search: Exploring the Algorithms Measuring (and Shaping) How We Think"

Trey's presentation revealed how AI search algorithms influence our daily digital lives:

AI is quietly shaping what you see and think: Every day, algorithms decide what search results you see, what social media posts appear in your feed, and what products are recommended to you. These systems are subtly influencing your decisions and perspectives in ways you might not notice.
The technology behind AI search is remarkably complex: Modern AI search involves multiple sophisticated systems working together - click tracking (monitoring what you click), collaborative filtering (showing you things similar users liked), and large language models (AI that understands and generates text). It's like a sophisticated orchestra where each instrument plays a different role.
You can use these same technologies in your own work: Understanding how these AI search systems work opens up opportunities to use similar techniques for organizing information, automating research, or building smarter applications in your own projects.

People Met and Key Takeaways

The networking opportunities at Carolina Codes were incredibly valuable, leading to several memorable conversations:

Barry Jones (Organizer) - Barry shared insights from his work at Brightball about why traditional project estimation methods (story points) often fail, and why tracking workflow bottlenecks is more effective. This perspective challenged how I think about project planning.

Redvers Davies - Our conversation proved an important point: even advanced AI can confidently give wrong answers when explaining niche programming languages (in this case, Pony lang). He also recommended "Ginger's Revenge," which sounds intriguing. A good reminder that AI has limitations and that personal recommendations from experienced developers are still invaluable.

James Lowden - We started a fascinating discussion about the history of Bell Labs and its influence on modern computing, but unfortunately ran out of time. I'm planning to follow up because the historical context of innovation is so important for understanding where technology is heading.

Eugene Willis - Our conversation highlighted the significant differences between how technology is used in academic settings versus business environments. The same technical skills apply differently depending on whether you're trying to advance knowledge or solve immediate business problems.

David Mackey - He shared his perspective on how programming languages and tools evolve over time while core problem-solving principles remain constant. This historical view helps put current technology trends in context.

Gratitude to Organizers and Volunteers

The success of Carolina Codes 2025 was clearly the result of tremendous effort by the organizers and volunteers. Their attention to detail, from venue logistics to speaker support, created an environment where both learning and networking could flourish. The seamless execution of the event allowed attendees to focus entirely on the content and connections rather than worrying about logistics.

Networking Events

Conference Welcome Social @ Gather - felt really welcomed into the community and, had good conversations and that space was sooo awesome.
New Realm Brewing - really cool after event hosted by Vonage, loved the after day 1 conference conversations and the stroll down downtown Greenville was enlightening.
Fireforge - final day and conference was done, we had a wedding party nearby, I got to meet most of the speakers and learn how much AI has the kaukaasi, thanks Red

Summary and Key Takeaways

Carolina Codes 2025 reinforced several important themes that will influence my approach to technology going forward:

Master the fundamentals: Whether we're talking about data structures, mathematical concepts, or text pattern matching, the conference showed that solid foundational knowledge becomes more valuable as technology advances, not less. It's like learning to read music - once you understand the basics, you can play any instrument.
Look for connections across different fields: The most interesting talks connected seemingly unrelated areas - gaming psychology with app design, environmental sustainability with AI architecture, and mathematical thinking with everyday programming. Innovation often happens at these intersections.
Community learning never stops: The networking conversations were as educational as the formal presentations. Conferences like this serve as catalysts for ongoing professional relationships and continuous learning that extends far beyond the event itself. It points to fact also that you need to either an organizer, participant, speaker and attendee at these events.
Focus on practical application: Every speaker emphasized hands-on experience and real-world problem-solving over theoretical knowledge. The most valuable learning happens when you're actually building, debugging, swearing and solving real problems.
Technology decisions affect people: From system design to AI algorithms, code/tech has been shaping our thinking to gamification influencing behavior, this conference highlighted and emphasized that every technical choice we make has human consequences. As technologists, we have a responsibility to consider these impacts thoughtfully.

Carolina Codes 2025 successfully combined technical depth with community building in a way that left me both more knowledgeable and more connected to the broader technology community. As a first-time speaker, I came away energized about continuing to share knowledge while learning from the remarkable group of people working to make technology more useful, applicable, accessible, and human-centered.