Cal Evans

Cal gives a very enthusiastic and entertaining talk. To *me* it seemed an odd choice to talking about "going pro" to a group of what I think were professional developers. That isn't a criticism of Cal, but rather of the choice of having him give that talk at this conference. And I emphasize that is *my* opinion.

I learned that I know a lone wolf. And I also learned I'm not the best team player. Much to think about.

A very great inspirational talk.

This was a great closing talk. Like the cleanup hitter in a baseball game, Cal knows what he's doing, and delivers. It was great for a closing talk because as he expressed so well, simply having a job and getting paid does not a professional make. He then went on to lay out a simple plan to achieve what he's defining as professionalism. And who couldn't love a catchy acronym like DUCCHT?

Loved the message and the anecdotal delivery. The notes were a bit distracting, but overall a great close-out to the conference.

Fun, energetic talk about the spectrum of professionalism in development. Even if we think we are professionals, there is always some area in which we can grow and do better, and I think Cal showed that quite well.

I loved the talk. It was so valuable to hear from someone with decades of experience. I've been quoting you pretty much ever since. Some highlights for me:

Be honest, and what that really means, especially with respect to budgets and estimating. The estimation process you outlined was really familiar: break things down as far as possible, roll them up into client-digestible categories, then add a fudge factor, because we all know how impossible it is to truly pinpoint how long things will take.

Be curious, and what that really means. Being a professional developer these days means you have to be constantly learning just to stay current. It's a big commitment, but it's also what keeps things fresh all the time.

Great talk, very engaging, perfect wrap-up for a terrific Laracon experience.

I think we can all stand to up our game when it comes to our professionalism as software engineers. Love the topic, and Cal made great points. Will definitely refer back to it as I work on developing my team.