# Conferences in Tech

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2024-12-14
- Length: 1h 30m
- Episode: 31
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/081bb0ed

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill hosts a discussion with Theo Schlossnagle (Netlify), Steve O'Grady (RedMonk), and KellyAnn Fitzpatrick (RedMonk) about the evolution of tech conferences. They contrast early, intimate events like OzCon, Surge, and Mocktoberfest with modern large-scale or purely online formats, debating the value of the 'hallway track' and the impact of recording talks. The group also details Oxide Computer Company's upcoming dtrace.com conference, which aims to blend online accessibility with an unconference-style community feel.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=0) Introduction: Panelists and Conference Origins
- [4:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=251) Early Conferences: OzCon, ApacheCon, and Debug
- [19:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=1190) The Shift to Recorded Talks and the Hallway Track
- [32:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=1946) The Rise and Fall of Surge and Mocktoberfest
- [45:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=2720) Scaling Challenges: Small Intimate vs. Large Events
- [54:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=3286) dtrace.com 2024: An Online Unconference Experiment
- [1:19:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech#t=4759) Organizer Burnout and Speaker Selection Strategies

## Topics

- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- RedMonk (company)
- Netlify (company)
- OzCon (other)
- ApacheCon (other)
- dtrace.com (other)
- Mocktoberfest (other)
- Surge (other)
- SREcon (other)
- Foo Camp (other)
- Kiwifw (other)
- re:Invent (other)
- OSCON (other)
- KraftConf (other)
- Vimeo (other)
- Internet Archive (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [12: The Conference Racket](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2016-04-21-12-the-conference-racket) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Trade Show or Conference?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-07-11-trade-show-or-conference) (The Amp Hour)
- [19: Bacon and Beer Event](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-09-18-19-bacon-and-beer-event) (Embedded.fm)
- [006 - Marketing Via Stickers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2017-12-06-006-marketing-via-stickers) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [Is This A Show?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-07-02-is-this-a-show) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-12-14-conferences-in-tech. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.