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Rails World 2024: My Experience as a Speaker and Attendee

I recently returned from Rails World 2024 in Toronto, Canada, and it has been one of my favorite conferences to date. With a 25-hour flight back to Cape Town, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on what made this event so special, both as a speaker and an attendee.

Rails World 2024

What Made It So Special for Me as a Speaker?

From the moment I began preparing, the communication from Amanda and the Rails World team was exceptional. As someone who thrives on having a clear plan, I appreciated how smooth the process was—from visa requirements and accommodation details to the logistics of my speaking slot. Knowing what was expected of me helped ease any anxiety about the little things, allowing me to focus fully on my talk.

For the first time, I presented without my laptop by my side, which felt unnerving at first. However, it turned out to be liberating because not relying on my laptop allowed me to fully engage with the stage and the audience. It forced me to build confidence in my material and trust the production crew. Ultimately, the crew went above and beyond, accommodating my requests by moving screens for my comfort, ensuring my code samples were visible, and displaying my content on additional screens for the best viewing. Submitting my slides to the production crew a few weeks in advance was also something new to me, but it meant I was more prepared.

When it came to the delivery, this was my favorite delivery as of yet. I felt confident and well-versed, standing up there discussing something I’m truly passionate about—demystifying the Rails codebase. I realized just how far I’ve come since my first talk in 2012. Over the years, I’ve learned to recognize the signs of nervousness—like a higher-pitched voice or a slight tremble—but, this time, I felt calm, collected, and in control. Even when I skipped a beat, I stayed composed, a testament to how much I’ve grown as a speaker.

Afterward, I received heartwarming compliments from attendees. Many mentioned how they enjoyed learning about the internals of Rails from my talk - and how it was useful to understand the mechanics of things like associations, which they’ve been using for years. I was thrilled that my talk resonated with both beginners and senior developers alike - this was my hope going in. By focusing on patterns within the Rails codebase, I aimed to help people realize that understanding these patterns makes it easier to trace through many code paths. Hearing that people found value in my talk made all the hard work and preparation worth it.

As someone who does not enjoy being put on the spot and often dreads the post-talk Q&A, I appreciated that Rails World allowed for more personal, one-on-one discussions afterward. It was a more relaxed and insightful way to interact with the audience.

Rails World 2024

The Rails World Community and Conference Experience

As an attendee, Rails World exceeded my expectations. The sense of community stood out the most. Even if you arrived knowing no one, by the end of the conference, you would have made friends. From the Curated Connections beforehand to the well-thought-out setup and after-parties, the organizers provided many opportunities to meet new people. There was a genuine warmth in the Rails community, and it made the whole experience special.

The technical talks were another highlight, showcasing not only cutting-edge Rails 8 features but also practical topics like leveling up performance with simple code changes, therefore providing valuable insights that were immediately applicable to real-world development.

The fun didn’t stop at the talks. There were great giveaways like a Framework laptop, GitHub skateboards, and plenty of t-shirts. For the first time ever, I even won a raffle prize—a book about High Performance PostgreSQL for Rails by Andrew Atkinson, which I got signed personally. It’s been a fascinating read so far, and if you haven’t grabbed a copy yet, I highly recommend it!

One of the most memorable aspects of the event was meeting so many people I’ve interacted with online. Meeting the Rails documentation team in person was a joy, and I believe it will further improve our already good team dynamics going forward. I also connected with people that I’ve chatted to only online over the past years, and it was a great feeling to see those relationships translate from the online world to real life. To top it all off, I even met another attendee who made the journey all the way from Cape Town, South Africa—what a small world!

Rails World 2024

Final Thoughts

The hype surrounding Rails World, both at the event and on Twitter, was unmatched. The energy was palpable, with people eager to learn, share, and connect. It was an unforgettable experience, surrounded by incredibly talented developers, each contributing to the Rails community in unique and exciting ways.

When the recording of my talk is released, I’ll add the link here, but in the meantime, feel free to check out my slides. I can only grow as a speaker with your help - if you attended my talk, I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on my content and delivery, you can share your feedback on this form!

Overall, Rails World 2024 was an unforgettable experience, and I’m excited to see how the Rails community continues to grow and evolve. I left Toronto feeling inspired, energized, and ready to apply what I learned—not just to my projects but also in contributing further to the Rails ecosystem.