Python talk night at GitHub

Join us for an exciting talk night at Github's office in Bellevue!

Agenda:

5:30-6pm: Doors open/networking
6-6:10pm: Opening remarks
6:10-6:35pm: Talk #1
6:35-6:50pm: Intermission
6:50pm-7:05pm: Lightning talk
7:05-7:30pm: Talk #2
7:30pm-8pm: Networking
After party to follow at Lucky Strike Bellevue (700 Bellevue Way NE Suite #250, Bellevue, WA 98004)

What we'll do:

This event will feature the following presentations:

Talk #1: How to present your presentation (and other suggestions for software interviews)
Speaker: Colleen Bond
Description: Colleen Bond (Senior Engineering Manager) will review tips to help you excel at a project presentation interview. She will discuss how to set up context, walk through architectual changes and discuss project leadership. Along the way she'll provide extra info on what signals hiring managers are looking for and general reminders for interview success.

Lightning talk: Dictionary Subclasses in Python
Speaker: Zach Fudge
Description: Why and how to subclass dictionaries in Python for building specialized mapping types. We'll cover how subclassing can help provide more extensible, abstracted solutions than raw dictionaries, comparison between dict inheritance and available abstract base classes, as well as practical use cases and potential pitfalls.

Talk #2: Test-Driven Development in the AI Era: When Goats Meet Robots
Speakers: Ivan Schneider
Description: AI coding assistants are everywhere, but how do we ensure the code they generate actually works? Drawing inspiration from the classic "Goat Book" (Test-Driven Development with Python), this talk explores how traditional TDD principles adapt when AI is your pair programming partner.

We'll cover practical strategies for using tests to guide AI toward correct solutions, patterns for iterating safely with AI-generated code, and real examples from production systems. Whether you're using GitHub Copilot or other AI coding tools, you'll leave with actionable techniques for building reliable software with sometimes unreliable assistants.

Includes live demo of AI-assisted TDD workflow using Python/Flask.

What to bring:

Since this is a talk format meetup, you don't need a computer.

Building access:

The elevators lock at 6pm. GitHub is willing to let people in until 6:30pm. If you arrive after 6:30pm we unfortunately cannot guarantee you will be able to access the event.

Parking:

There is paid parking in the Skyline garage underneath the building, accessible via 110th Ave NE between 4th and 6th going southbound only

Transit:
GitHub is near the Bellevue Downtown link station and the Bellevue transit center which provide attendees with a number of options for getting to tonight's event.