Tallence at techcamp 2023

Hamburg, blue sky, not a cloud over the city. Numerous techies on their way to the Reeperbahn. Because the techcamp is in town.

"Tech Talks That Matter" - without any paralysing advertising blah blah, but instead with excellent contributions on trends in the industry and a lot of learning for speakers and listeners alike. Over the last two days, more than 300 participants listened to the numerous talks in the five event locations on Hamburg's Reeperbahn. And Tallence was right in the middle.

Our conclusion: cool stages, committed organisers, great event.

We at Tallence also focus on "Tech That Matters" in our daily business. So Tallence and techcamp are on the same wavelength. That's why we were delighted to be invited to present our five speakers with strong topics and great personalities on the stages this year.

Arne Hollmann, consultant for omnichannel experience and bullshit killing, rocked the stage right before the networking evening of the first day of the camp. In his one-hour session, he inspired the audience with interactive and deliberately controversial discussion impulses on a thoroughly overriding topic: "Don't kill the messenger but... force your UXies, PMs, customers into reality in a friendly way." And so his talk started with the call: "Welcome to the ground of facts - whoever writes code should also write rules of the game" and in due course takes a critical look at the principles of successful or unsuccessful communication at the intersection and the transition from vision to realisation.

Arne sees clear potential for improvement, even in the agile methodology, because good communication with the goal of common understanding is always and continuously important. Co-thinking and cooperation of all project participants is an important keyword here. In this context, Arne also talks about the powerlessness and speechlessness that can arise when experts meet marketers. Because experts often consider the cluelessness of their counterparts to be too great for them to be able to understand the facts to be explained in all their apparent complexity. So it's all about respectful interaction when working together and clear, comprehensible expression. Arne deliberately touches on topics such as self-reflection with regard to the use of language and the sometimes senselessly excessive use of buzzwords contained therein.

He names his rules of the game as follows: Open your mouth, but also let everyone have their say. No one should pretend that it is none of their business. Accept the expertise of others and respect the lack of it. Be transparent when you don't understand something and question yourself if you are speaking and presenting in a way that others can understand.

Arne's request: speak to each other in a way that creates value and meaning!

There could not have been a better introduction to the subsequent get-together of the techcamp guests. A great prelude to talking, visioning and networking.

The good flow and exciting exchange continued on the second day of the camp.

Frederike Haupt, Tallence Product Manager and Digital Consultant, already tickles the techcamp participants with the title of her presentation: "Peter, Thomas, Klaus & me. Young women in the software business".

More than justified, she raises questions: Why are women still so underrepresented in the IT industry? What can be done to remedy the situation?

Fredi starts by taking a look at yesteryear. Historically grown and truly persistent, various patriarchal structures still shape us today. Women have always had to fight for their rights. For example, until 1977, women were only allowed to be gainfully employed by law if it was compatible with marital and family duties. Consequently, habitual effects weigh heavily on us, many actions and behaviours were questioned far too little in the past, and we still make ourselves aware of them far too rarely.

As an example, Fredi refers to early childhood education according to role stereotypes, which only recently seems to be gradually disappearing. Gender bias in science and society continue to have an effect, we find ourselves in a world with a gender pay gap and just 13.3% women in IT management positions in the Germany in 2020.

Frederike criticises the fact that the attribute "high achiever" still tends to be attributed to men and the new female colleague is still looked at suspiciously when she confidently and offensively explains her career ambitions. Unconscious gender-related advantages and disadvantages due to biological differences are a given and perhaps not the biggest blocker, but nevertheless contribute to stereotypical expectations and feed prejudices. The fact that measures for more equality are then often ridiculed, at the kitchen table as well as in the Bundestag, leaves one rather speechless. But remaining silent is certainly not the solution.

Frederike also gives her listeners tips:

"Position yourselves," she says, "go to companies where diversity is important. That brings about a change in thinking. And: Network, network, network! Talk about it, especially in IT-related sectors. Be there and be visible, show yourself and your opinion, stand by your performance and set a good example. Look for inspiring people and break out of learned structures. Diversity makes us great, diverse and better overall."

At the same time on another stage.
"Intuitive Interactive Workshop Design" - the name said it all in the presentation by Caroline Starnitzky, Digital Transformation Consultant and Alexander Clausius, Lead "Digital Products". With 5+1 tips on how to turn a bad meeting into a really good workshop, the two inspired a full venue and could hardly stop exchanging ideas with the audience even beyond the speaking time. The tips fully cover a well-planned meeting: from the importance of creating a common basis for discussion right at the beginning so that everyone present is actually talking about the same thing. From the fact that the human brain can retain and process visual supports such as pictures much better than texts. To the guiding principle "Start Strong, End Stronger", which reminds us that the method should be thought through from start to finish before boredom sets in at the end of a long workshop. Following their own tips, the two did not let the energy level slip in their workshop and, at the end, gave all participants a postcard with the most important tips visualised on it. After all, we have learned that this is the best way to remember what we have heard.

The exciting lecture "BÄM! A.I.! - Opportunities, potentials, challenges with A.I." by our colleague Mattias Haase, SEO Consultant at Tallence, the techcamp guests unfortunately had to do without at the end due to illness - but postponed is not abandoned. We are looking forward to seeing Matthias on stage again! Until then, get well soon!

As varied as the topics were, as diverse as the speakers - the applause of the audience, the interested questions and engaged conversations afterwards were an indication that the Tallence experts were exactly right with the choice of topics for their presentations.

We are looking forward to the strong exchange, the many exciting encounters and, above all, to seeing you again at techcamp 2024!