Michael Carducci
Northern Virginia Software Symposium
Reston · April 22 - 24, 2016
Software Architect & Magician
Michael Carducci spent years learning to see things as they actually are; first as a magician, then as a software architect, now as both simultaneously. And somehow that’s not even the whole story.
He’s the author of Mastering Software Architecture (Apress, 2025) and is currently writing The Semantic Layer. He has spent over 25 years following interesting problems; through roles from individual contributor to CTO and back again, across industries and continents.
As a speaker, he applies the same toolkit he uses in close-up magic: attention, misdirection, timing, storytelling, and the instinct to take the long way around when that’s where the truth lives. Audiences at hundreds of conferences across four continents have described his talks as the kind that change how you think about a problem rather than just what you know about it.
He also makes YouTube videos about technology and curiosity with his wife Kate, because some ideas are too important (or too interesting!) to leave only in conference rooms.
Presentations
The Influential Engineer Overcoming resistance to change
By the end of this conference you will have learned many new tools and technologies. The easy part is done, now for the hard part: getting the rest of the teamand managementon board with the new ideas. Easier said than done.
Whether you want to effect culture change in your organization, lead the transition toward a new technology, or are simply asking for better tools; you must first understand that having a “good idea” is just the beginning. How can you dramatically increase your odds of success?
You will learn 12 concrete strategies to build consensus within your team as well as 6 technique to dramatically increase the odds that the other person will say “Yes” to your requests.
Productivity for the hopelessly disorganized
It happens to us all; there are simply days where it seems impossible to get anything done. This session focuses on techniques and tips to get into the zone, stay in the zone and to protect your productivity, even in disruptive environments.
The Art of the Impossible
We all have an innate sense of what's possible. Not only is this how magicians fool you, but it might also be what's holding you back.
In this session Michael Carducci shares how he applied lessons learned in his career as a professional magician to his “day-job” as a software engineer.
Soft Skills for the Software Architect: Building Your Professional Network
You've heard the old adage “It's not what you know it's who you know.” The focus of this session is divided between ways to better connect with everyone you meet as well as ways to grow your network, help and influence people and ultimately build long-term relationships and build your reputation.
Fully Optimize Your Memory
Unlock your latent photographic memory. In this session you'll learn failsafe techniques and systems that allow you to never forget names, appointments, or numbers. In the process you'll be more effective and imaginative at work; improve reading speed and comprehension, and shorten study times.
Stop writing code and start solving problems
Being a professional software engineer, it's easy to fall into the belief that one's role in a company is to write code.
Another perspective might be that one's role is to solve problems for the business and that writing code is merely one of several tools available to help solve those problems.
Relational Database Essentials (with a deck of cards)
Relational databases are the foundation to countless systems but are often abstracted away and ignored until queries start timing out. Learn the essentials of indexing, query tuning and database design; all explained with a deck of playing cards.