FileMaker DevCon – Unofficial “Get Your Sh*t Together” Track

Making custom software is hard. So is project management, estimating, accounting, and all the other things solo-developers and subcontractors are often expected to take care of alongside their code. Being a FileMaker Developer can be a great life–on your own, as a subcontractor, or inside a big firm–but it can also be very stressful.

Fortunately, our community loves to share what works, and there will be people talking about these tough issues at FileMaker DevCon. In fact, there’s enough on these topics to make a whole (unofficial) “Get your sh*t together” track at the conference.

So if you’re having trouble estimating, meeting deadlines, or getting paid, you might want to invest in yourself and check out some of these sessions:

Everyday

• Yoga (Adatasol) Daily, Tue-Thu 6:30 am. Dan Weiss from Adatasol has been leading morning yoga at DevCon for five years. It’s a great way to take time to focus on what’s important amid the craziness of the conference (and the networking isn’t bad either).

Tuesday

• What Works and What Doesn’t: Things I learned becoming a SeedCoder (SeedCode) Tue 1:30 pm. SeedCode developers KC Embrey, Ann Kiser, and Dan Wheelon will be presenting a session about what they’ve learned running projects at SeedCode. They’ll talk about billing time, estimating, and structuring your week to meet your deadlines.

• Survival for In-House Developers (Michael O’Neil, Boca Raton Fire Rescue, Retired) Tue 4:15 pm. Issues of leadership, ethics, communication, and office politics for in-house developers.

Wednesday

• Talking Money with Your Clients (Susan Fennema, Beyond the Chaos) Wed 1:30 pm. Money always has the last word; do not miss this.

Thursday

• Big or Small: How to Contribute to the Community — Lightning Talk (Makah Encarnacao, Soliant): Thu 11:15 am. We all need backup–a network of people we can turn to with questions. One of the best ways to build your network is to answer questions for others. You’ll make relationships that will last a lifetime. Really.

• Getting It Done: The Tools of the Trade for App Dev Team Leaders — Lightning Talk (Gianna Harum-Alvarez, SmallCo): Thu 11:45 am. There is actual project management software that can help you keep track of all this.

• Say What!? (Brandon Hayes, Kalos Consulting Inc.): Thu 12:45 pm. Learn tactics that make it easier to say the tough things when you know you should.

And don’t forget to stop by the SeedCode booth to meet our team and talk about what works.