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LeadDev Berlin 2024 - The Unofficial Must-Read Guide

Alexandra Mendes

October 11, 2024

Min Read
LeadDev Berlin 2024 - The Unofficial Must-Read Guide

What is LeadDev Berlin 2024?

LeadDev Berlin is part of the global LeadDev conference series, which focuses on professionals transitioning from hands-on engineering roles into leadership positions. Unlike many tech events that spotlight the latest tools and technologies, LeadDev puts the spotlight on the human side of software development—building high-performing teams, managing change, and nurturing an inclusive, effective engineering culture.

This year's event is expected to be the biggest yet, with a packed agenda featuring renowned thought leaders, experienced engineering managers, and cutting-edge CTOs. Attendees will engage with sessions designed to address the most pressing challenges in leadership, from scaling engineering teams to fostering collaboration across departments, all while keeping an eye on the well-being of your engineers.

Why Attend LeadDev as a Tech Leader?

For those in engineering leadership, continuous growth is critical. LeadDev Berlin 2024 offers tech leaders the chance to gain practical strategies and leadership techniques that can be applied to everyday challenges. Whether you’re managing a small team or a large global department, the knowledge and insights gained from this event will help you lead with greater confidence and effectiveness.

From tackling technical debt to improving cross-functional collaboration, the sessions at LeadDev cover every aspect of engineering leadership. In addition to the technical content, LeadDev offers a space for meaningful networking, where you can connect with peers who share similar challenges. These connections often lead to long-term mentorship, knowledge sharing, and opportunities that last beyond the event.

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LeadDev Berlin 2024 Talks Selection Strategies

With an expansive lineup of talks, workshops, and panels, navigating the agenda at LeadDev Berlin 2024 can be daunting. To ensure you gain the most value from the event, having a clear strategy for selecting the right sessions is essential. These choices should align with your professional development goals and your challenges as a tech leader.

Here’s how you can approach session selection to maximise your experience at LeadDev Berlin 2024:

1. Align Sessions with Your Leadership Goals

Before diving into the detailed agenda, take a step back to reflect on what you want to achieve from the conference. Are you focused on enhancing team management skills, learning about new leadership frameworks, or understanding how to scale engineering operations effectively? You can explore hot topics like artificial intelligence (AI) or optimising hybrid work models. Knowing your goals will help you filter sessions that will most impact your role.

  • Focus on Areas for Growth: Identify sessions that cover topics where you or your team may need more expertise. For example, if your team struggles with inter-departmental collaboration, consider attending panels and workshops focused on improving cross-functional communication.
  • Address Your Team’s Challenges: Attend sessions that tackle specific issues your team faces, such as how to retain talent, foster diversity, or optimise remote work setups. You’ll leave with actionable insights to apply to your organisation.

Recommended Sessions:

  • "How to deal with the 'technical' in 'technical leadership'" by Clare Sudbery: A workshop perfect for leaders who want to refine their technical leadership while balancing broader management responsibilities.
  • "The engineering leader’s playbook: A hands-on guide to DORA" by Finn Toner and Giovanni Galloro: Focused on improving team performance and applying the DORA metrics framework.

2. Prioritise Keynotes and Featured Speakers

Keynote sessions are the cornerstone of LeadDev Berlin, offering insights from industry leaders who set the tone for the event. These talks often focus on the latest leadership trends and overarching themes relevant to all attendees, regardless of their roles.

  • Don’t Miss the Keynotes: These sessions typically contain valuable high-level lessons applicable across various industries. Be sure to prioritise them in your schedule, as they offer broad insights that shape the overall narrative of the conference.
  • Featured Speakers: Outside of keynotes, there are several featured talks by prominent industry figures. These sessions often take a deeper dive into specific leadership or technical challenges, providing you with practical strategies that can be applied to your work immediately.

Recommended Sessions:

  • “Skating where the puck is going when the ice is melting” by Lena Reinhard (Day 1): This session offers a sneak peek into the 2024 LeadDev Engineering Management report, exploring how the role of engineering leadership is evolving and what these changes mean for the industry at large.
  • "Cross-platform frameworks: State of the Nation 2024" by Tristan Heal (Day 2): In this talk, Tristan Heal explores the current approaches to native development in 2024, discussing the reasons and motivations for choosing one framework over another. This evidence-based session will examine how companies use cross-platform frameworks to create some of the most well-known apps on your phone today.

3. Mix Big Picture with Tactical Sessions

LeadDev Berlin balances visionary leadership talks with hands-on, tactical sessions. To get the most out of your experience, it’s wise to attend a mix of both types of sessions.

  • Big Picture Discussions: Attend talks focusing on broad topics such as scaling teams, leadership in the era of AI, or managing culture during rapid organisational changes. These sessions will provide strategic insights to help shape your long-term leadership vision.
  • Tactical Workshops: For practical, in-the-trenches learning, LeadDev Berlin offers two focused workshops designed to provide actionable frameworks and skills you can implement immediately:

    • How to deal with the “technical” in “technical leadership”: This workshop focuses on balancing technical responsibilities with leadership duties, helping you navigate the often tricky transition from hands-on engineering to leading a technical team.

    • The engineering leader's playbook: A hands-on guide to DORA: This session dives deep into the DORA metrics, teaching you how to apply these performance indicators to improve your team’s efficiency, reduce deployment time, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Recommended Sessions:

  • "Tackling tech debt" by Meri Williams (Day 2): Learn how to manage technical debt effectively while maintaining team morale and delivery timelines.

4. Select a Few Stretch Topics

While it’s essential to attend sessions closely related to your role, exploring topics outside your core expertise can provide fresh perspectives and prepare you for emerging challenges. Stretch topics can broaden your understanding of industry trends, giving you an edge as you prepare for the future of tech leadership.

  • Explore Emerging Trends: Look for sessions that discuss the impact of AI, sustainability in software development, or new approaches to hybrid work. As the industry evolves, these topics are rapidly becoming essential knowledge for tech leaders.
  • Cross-functional leadership: Consider attending panels that focus on collaborating with other departments, such as product management, sales, or marketing. These sessions help you improve inter-departmental communication and align engineering with broader business goals.

Recommended Sessions:

  • "On-call revolution: Building a culture of ownership and collaboration" by Ayelen Chavez (Day 1): Learn how we implemented an innovative on-call rotation without traditional SRE support, reducing costs, complexity, and empowering developers to take ownership. Discover strategies for scaling on-call, improving service quality, and fostering team cohesion, along with insights from building and scaling our ML platform from scratch.
  • "Scaling your ML platform to enable the industrialisation of AI and ML development" by Lyubomira Dimitrova (Day 2): Learn how AI reshapes leadership, what an ML platform involves, and how to assess its maturity. The session also covers critical platform requirements and real-world lessons from building and scaling an ML platform from scratch.
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Networking Opportunities at LeadDev Berlin 2024

One of the standout aspects of LeadDev Berlin is the opportunity to network with some of the world's top tech leaders. Making meaningful connections is often just as valuable as the content itself, and the conference offers several structured and informal networking sessions designed to help attendees meet their peers.

Opportunities for Networking

In addition to the organic conversations that happen between sessions, LeadDev Berlin 2024 offers a range of planned networking activities that allow for more focused, in-depth discussions:

  • Table Talks: These community-led discussions provide a platform for attendees to engage on specific topics in an intimate, roundtable setting.
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA): These sessions offer a unique opportunity to interact with industry experts and ask questions about their leadership journeys, technical strategies, or career advice.
  • Office Hours: Pre-planned conversations run by community members. These sessions provide a chance for more personalised advice and mentoring on the topics most relevant to you.

How to Network Effectively with Industry Leaders

  • Prepare in Advance: Research the speaker lineup and fellow attendees to identify key people you’d like to connect with.
  • Be Intentional About Breaks: Some of the best conversations happen between sessions. Use these moments to strike up casual discussions and share your experiences.
  • Attend Social Events: Don’t miss the evening reception or organised meet-up designed to encourage networking in a relaxed setting.

Starting Conversations and Building Strong Professional Connections

  • Find Common Interests: Start conversations by looking for shared experiences or interests, such as overcoming similar work challenges or being fascinated with the latest tech trends. This creates a natural entry point for meaningful dialogue.
  • Listen with Intention: Pay close attention to what the other person is saying and show genuine curiosity. Engaging deeply in the conversation strengthens your connection and gives you valuable insights from different perspectives.

Building Lasting Connections

Networking isn’t just about quick chats—it’s about building meaningful relationships that can last beyond the conference. To do this:

  • Follow-Up: Send follow-up emails or LinkedIn messages to the people you met after the event. Reference something specific from your conversation to strengthen the connection.
  • Engage on Social Media: Stay active in the LeadDev community by engaging with attendees on platforms like LinkedIn.
  • Offer Value: Relationships work best when they’re mutually beneficial. Share resources, offer help, and contribute to the community.

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LeadDev Berlin 2024 Trade Show Partner Exhibition

While the sessions and workshops at LeadDev Berlin 2024 offer deep insights into tech leadership and management, the booth area is another vital part of the conference experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. The exhibitor booths provide a unique opportunity to discover cutting-edge technologies, innovative services, and valuable solutions tailored to the needs of engineering managers and tech leaders. Engaging with exhibitors can lead to valuable insights, partnerships, and tools to enhance your leadership and improve your team's performance.

Importance of Engaging with Exhibitors

The booth area at LeadDev Berlin is much more than just a trade show. It’s a dynamic environment where industry-leading companies showcase the latest advancements in engineering leadership tools, team management software, and emerging tech solutions. Here’s why you should make time for booth exploration:

  • Discover New Tools and Technologies: Whether it’s software for improving team productivity, platforms for managing remote teams, or innovative AI-driven tools, the exhibitors at LeadDev provide a window into the future of tech management. Staying up-to-date with these advancements is essential for leading a cutting-edge team.
  • Network with Solution Providers: Exhibitors are often more than just vendors—they are thought leaders and innovators in their own right. Engaging with them can lead to valuable conversations about how their products or services can address specific challenges in your organisation. Some exhibitors even offer customised solutions based on your problems as a tech leader.
  • Hands-on Demonstrations: Booths often offer live demos, allowing you to interact with the latest technologies firsthand. Before investing, this can help you evaluate whether a particular tool or service is a good fit for your team.
  • Exclusive Offers and Opportunities: Many exhibitors offer special discounts, early access, or exclusive features for conference attendees. By engaging with exhibitors, you may gain access to resources that are otherwise unavailable, including free trials, promotional deals, or beta testing opportunities for new products.

Discover How to Build Faster with World-Class Nearshore Teams at Imaginary Cloud’s Booth

One exhibitor you won’t want to miss at LeadDev Berlin 2024 is Imaginary Cloud. Known for helping enterprises and scale-ups accelerate their product development with world-class nearshore teams, Imaginary Cloud is your partner for building faster and more efficiently. Here’s why you should visit their booth:

  • World-Class Nearshore Teams: Imaginary Cloud specialises in providing seamless, scalable, cost-effective nearshore team solutions to Enterprises and Scale-ups. With highly skilled professionals based in the EU ready to integrate into your projects, you can expand your development capabilities, meet tight deadlines, and scale rapidly without the challenges of local hiring or HR bureaucracy.

  • Innovative Product Development: From concept to market, Imaginary Cloud brings your ideas to life with faster product development. Whether you’re tackling new digital projects or streamlining existing ones, Imaginary Cloud’s expertise ensures you can innovate quickly and effectively while delivering top-tier results.

  • Expertise in AI and Machine Learning Solutions: Stay ahead of the innovation curve with Imaginary Cloud’s AI-driven solutions. Their team of AI and machine learning experts helps you automate processes, gain deeper insights, and enhance your digital transformation strategies with scalable solutions built to meet your evolving needs.

  • Tailored Solutions for Tech Leadership Challenges: Imaginary Cloud knows the specific pain points engineering managers and CTOs face, such as managing technical debt, scaling teams, and driving innovation. Their customised approach ensures solutions that address your unique challenges, helping you achieve faster development cycles with fewer roadblocks, saving you time on recruitment, onboarding, and team management.

  • Partnering with Technical and Vertical Experts: Collaborating with Imaginary Cloud means access to technical and vertical expertise that drives faster, better, and larger-scale developments. Our skilled Developers, Designers, Data Scientists, Project Managers, and Designers ensure results by delivering industry-leading digital products that follow elite delivery processes.
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Preparing for LeadDev Berlin 2024

How to Make the Most of the Conference

  • Plan Your Schedule: With so many great sessions, it’s important to review the agenda in advance and prioritise the most relevant to your role and goals.
  • Diversify Your Session Choices: While you might be focused on specific topics, it’s worth attending sessions on related fields to gain a broader perspective.
  • Have a Learning Objective: Think about what you want to gain from the conference and how you can apply it in your leadership role.

Conference Essentials: What to Bring

  • Notebook or Digital Device: You’ll want to take notes on key takeaways during the sessions.
  • Business Cards or LinkedIn App: Make it easy to connect with fellow attendees.
  • Comfortable Shoes: You’ll be doing a lot of walking between sessions.
  • Chargers and Portable Batteries: Keep your devices powered throughout the day.

Scheduling Your Time

  • Keynotes and Featured Speakers: These sessions are the backbone of the conference, so make sure they are a top priority in your schedule.
  • Workshops Over Panels: Workshops offer hands-on learning opportunities, whereas panels provide broader discussions. Try to attend a mix of both.
  • Leave Room for Networking: Don’t pack your schedule too tightly. Allow time for organic conversations with other attendees.
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FAQs About LeadDev Berlin 2024

Where is LeadDev Berlin 2024?
LeadDev Berlin will be held at the Estrel Congress Centre, Berlin. The venue is easily accessible and conveniently located for attendees travelling from outside the city.

How Can I Register?
You can register through the official LeadDev website. Early registration is recommended as tickets often sell out quickly.

Who Should Attend?
The conference is designed for engineering managers, tech leads, CTOs, and anyone aspiring to or currently working in technical leadership roles.

How Should I Prepare?
Review the agenda, plan your sessions, and join the online LeadDev community to connect with fellow attendees before the event begins.

LeadDev Berlin 2024 offers a unique opportunity to learn from industry leaders, grow your network, and bring new ideas back to your team. Focusing on the human side of engineering management, the conference provides actionable insights that will help you become a more effective leader.

Attending LeadDev can help you stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of tech leadership. It is a must-attend event for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills, build stronger teams, and drive innovation within their organisation. Don’t miss the chance to visit Imaginary Cloud’s booth at LeadDev Berlin 2024! Let’s explore how our tailored solutions can elevate your business. 

Want to dive deeper? Schedule a meeting by leaving a message—we're eager to connect and collaborate on driving your success!


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Alexandra Mendes
Alexandra Mendes

Content writer with a big curiosity about the impact of technology on society. Always surrounded by books and music.

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