Osaka Web Designers and Developers Meetup

Are you a software engineer who enjoys digging into new ideas, practices, and patterns that strengthen your craft? Join us for the next Study Session, a gathering for engineers who don’t just code, but want to understand the why and how behind solid software design.

In this session, we’ll dive into the principle of slicing up solutions: how to cut “elephants” (big pieces of work) into ultra-thin slices that are still functional, demo-able, and valuable. Through group exercises and discussion, you’ll practice writing tiny use cases and challenge yourself to slice thinner than you thought possible.

What you’ll do:

• Explore what makes a story a real slice (vertical, testable, user-value).
• Practice writing 10–20 use cases for a simple product.
• Reflect on how slicing affects teamwork and delivery.

Session difficulty: Junior Engineer or Product Related (familiarity with basic SDLC is helpful).

Meeting Content:

• Introduction
• Explain the subject
• Story writing exercise
• Discussion
• Feedback & Wrap-up

Discussion Style:

• Raise your hand when you’d like to speak
• Keep each contribution to a maximum of 2 minutes

Did you know there's a hidden fifth season hiding in plain sight between Japan's suffocating summer heat and its beautiful fall folliage? That's right, it's hiking season!

Let's explore Uji and its mountains while it's still t-shirt weather. We'll walk through the forest all the way to Amagase Dam and then make our way on the other side of the Uji river.

We should be back in town early enough to get a matcha latte, parfait, cake, or basically anything you want as long as it's matcha-flavored – that's kind of Uji's thing.

More info about the hike:

https://yamap.com/activities/15027183

What to bring:

- Water
- Food (we'll picnic during the hike)
- Insect repellent
- Light windbreaker/raincoat
- Comfortable shoes (hiking shoes not required)

Are you a software engineer who enjoys digging into new ideas, practices, and patterns that strengthen your craft? Join us for the next OKTech Study Session, a gathering for engineers who don’t just code, but want to understand the why and how behind solid software design.

This second session let us put the elephant back together during a practice with fast-paced implementation. Working in pairs, you’ll take the tiny user stories you defined and bring them to life in short, timed sprints. Each slice must be demo-able, so you’ll experience first-hand the discipline of finishing thin, valuable increments under real-world pressure.

What you’ll do:

• Implement ultra-thin user stories in 5 × 8-minute coding rounds.
• Practice TDD and pair programming to keep pace and code quality high.
• Demo progress at the end of each round.
• Reflect on the balance between speed, consistency, and design.

Session difficulty: Junior Engineer or Product Related (familiarity with basic software developer is helpful).

IMPORTANT! This session includes hands-on coding. Bring a laptop with your development setup ready (it's done in pairs).

Meeting Content:

• Introduction
• Explain the subject
• Coding exercise
• Discussion
• Feedback & Wrap-up

Discussion Style:

• Raise your hand when you’d like to speak
• Keep each contribution to a maximum of 2 minutes