We are very excited to announce our keynote speaker for our 2019 WordCamp!
Steve Grunwell is a Senior Software Engineer at Liquid Web, working primarily on the Managed WordPress and WooCommerce platforms. Specializing in WordPress and web application development, he has a passion for teaching and contributing back to the development community through speaking, blogging, and open-source work.
When he’s not writing tests or finding new ways to automate the world around him, Steve is off spending time with his family, enjoying a fine cup of coffee, playing guitar, or otherwise getting away from the keyboard
This year, Steve will be speaking about `Software: For the People`
There’s a great feeling of satisfaction that comes from building a piece of software: using only our minds and a text editor, we’ve manipulated the machine, bending it to our will. Now and forever, we shall be recognized as the technical wizards who helped…sell more cheeseburgers?!
The sad truth is that a good portion of the software we build is — in the grand scope of things — absolutely meaningless. Countless hours, an obscene percentage of our lifetimes, spent building marketing sites to convince people to buy products they don’t need. Or building web apps to collect user data, which can then be sold to the highest bidder.
At some point in your career, you may find yourself at a crossroads: continue getting paid for work that ultimately leaves you unsatisfied, or take a step back and try to give your career purpose? This talk is about the latter: how to find meaning in the work that you do; after all, aren’t we supposed to be building software to help people?