In Person-Salem: presentation by David Bates

From Code to Magic: Building Things That Blink, Talk, and Occasionally Catch Fire by David Bates

Have you ever seen a kid interact with something new for the first time? That spark of magic, they don’t quite understand it, but they know it’s cool. And then the moment they figure it out?
This talk is about creating that spark.

I’ll walk through my maker journey and how it leveled up the way I think about systems, electronics, and software.
We’ll cover how easy it is to get started, the tools you actually need (not the ones YouTube tells you to buy), and the different paths you can take to start building real things.

I’ll share real examples, a few failures, and how these experiments turned into real, tangible business value.
You’ll leave with a clear plan to get started, permission to experiment, and probably a few ideas that make you think, “I could build that.”

And yeah, lots of GIFs, videos, and a non-zero chance something catches fire.

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.