team rockstars presents

dev. backstage

Join us on November 28th for an exclusive event where senior engineers will get a sneak peek into the tech landscape of 2025! Explore the tech challenges that lie ahead and discover how you can make it to the ā€˜main stageā€™ as a developer!

28 november

let’s unite!

On November 28, our exclusive event will take place at Basecamp in Utrecht. During the break-out sessions you can go in depth with experts on Architecture and AI related topics in smaller groups. Seize this opportunity to learn from the best and further enrich your knowledge!

Want to be there? Grab your Dev.Backstage Pass now! Fill in the form to pre-registerā€”but hurry, spots are filling up fast!

speaker highlight

Dylan Beattie

MVP, Consultant, Keynote speaker

keynote speaker

Meet Dylan Beattie, the international keynote speaker and the mind behind the Rockstar programming language. A versatile musician and former CTO, he has unique insights to share that you won’t want to miss!

Oscar van der Leij tijdens Rockstars Valley

oscar van der leij

Solutions Architect

speaker

With over two decades of experience in IT and software architecture, I have developed a broad range of skills, including solution architecture, agile environments, and enterprise architecture modeling. My certifications, including TOGAFĀ® 9 Certified, ArchiMateĀ® 3 Practitioner, and Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate, demonstrate my commitment to maintaining a high level of professional competence.

Cris Cadinu

Principal Consultant

speaker

Cris is passionate about everything related to software, from technical details to how teams can work together smoothly. In his previous role as a solution architect and engineering manager, he brought these two areas together, collaborating with development teams to build innovative solutions.

At the Architects CafĆ©, Cris will guide you through the world of solution architecture from his unique perspective.  He’ll explain what the role involves and share valuable lessons heā€™s learned over the past few years.

Bart van Nierop Software engineer

bart van nierop

Senior Software Engineer

speaker

Bart started programming at age 11, with nothing but QuickBASIC and the help file. Since then, he has experimented with C, C++, C#, Java, Objective-C, Swift, Ruby, Python, Javascript, OCaml, Common Lisp, Elixir, Racket and F#.

He has participated in ICPC competitions. He loves to gather and share knowledge, and enjoys talking to anyone who will listen. He is constantly looking for new ways to improve software development practices and optimize the final software solutions.

roel van bergen

Software Engineer

speaker

Meet Roel, a developer “who thinks beyond the sandbox”. Imagine if AI had superpowers – that’s exactly the bold vision Roel brings.

With deep expertise in AI and a constant desire to push the boundaries of autonomy and innovation, Roel doesn’t just work with technology; he transforms it. During “Dev Backstage,” he’ll take you inside Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel and show you how AI can evolve from assistant to unstoppable force.

28 november

program dev. backstage

Come in, meet fellow professionals and enjoy good food to start the evening off right. This is the opportunity to start networking and meet new faces.

We are officially kicking off the evening! A brief welcome to get everyone ready for the sessions and talks that follow.

Engage with peers about software architecture. This interactive session will share current challenges and insights that will further deepen and inspire your knowledge.
More info on the session here >>

Experience how Cursor AI makes coding more efficient with smart suggestions, refactoring and auto-completion. Just as Tesla automates routine in car driving, Cursor AI takes over repetitive code tasks so developers can focus on creativity and logic.

More info on the session here >>

Take a break and process the insights from the first part of the session. A great time to review questions or relax for a moment.

In the second part, we will dive even deeper into concrete architectural issues, with additional focus on practical solutions and innovation in the field.

More info on the session here >>

Discover how AI agents, powered by Microsoft’s Semantic Kernel, transcend their sandbox and grow into powerful, autonomous helpers.

More info on the session here >>

In 2018, Dylan Beattie wrote a joke: a programming language based on the power ballads of the 1980s. But what started as a simple Markdown file grew into “Rockstar” – a language that combines everything from .NET and JavaScript to web assembly, and found a place at Classic Rock and MIT. In this talk, Dylan tells the story of “Rockstar 2.0,” a unique blend of tech, humor, and the art of esoteric programming languages. And who knows … maybe you’ll become a certified Rockstar Developer!

More info on the session here >>

Dylan Beatie brings not only knowledge, but also music! Enjoy a unique musical performance that brings together tech and creativity.

We will conclude with a social drink. This is the time to talk after, make new contacts, and toast to a successful evening!

28nov basecamp utrecht
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dylan Beattie

How to be a Rocktar Developer

One evening in 2018, Dylan Beattie sat down in a bar, opened a laptop, and wrote a joke: a parody specification for Rockstar, a programming language based on the lyrics to 1980s power ballads. The joke was supposed to end there: a single Markdown file that folks would read, maybe laugh a bit, and then get on with their lives … well, that’s not quite how it worked out.

The internet’s a big place, and a little corner of it took Rockstar to their hearts: they found it, they loved it – and then they implemented it. Six years on, Rockstar has shown up in the most unlikely places, from Classic Rock magazine, to Advent of Code, to Carnegie Mellon University and MIT – and each time, it attracts a new wave of aspiring Rockstar developers, with questions about how it works, and suggestions about how to make it better. And so, one evening in 2024, Dylan sat down in another bar, opened another laptop, and wrote another joke: “Rockstar 2.0: The Difficult Second Album.”

On one level, Rockstar in 2024 is a stupid joke language based on Bon Jovi songs. On another level, it’s packed with things that would have been impossible even just a few years ago: a project that combines .NET, C#, JavaScript, browser APIs, and web assembly, building on decades of research in parser engineering and asynchronous application development. And yes, it’s still based on Bon Jovi songs.

This is the story of Rockstar 2.0. You’ll learn about the history of esoteric programming languages, from INTERCAL, to Piet, to the researcher who taught Perl to speak Latin. You’ll learn what’s involved in creating an entirely new programming language. You’ll see a lot of cool tech, you’ll marvel at just how much engineering can go into one joke, and who knows – you might even qualify as a Certified Rockstar 2.0 Developer.

Kopiƫren

oscar van der leij

Architect cafƩ XXL: Architectural dilemmas

In this Architect CafƩ XXL, we go back to the basics where Architect CafƩ started: the role of the architect. From the practical experience of two experienced architects, key learnings will be shared that describe the challenge and practical implementation.

What is the division of roles between a software developer and solution architect? How are solution architects and software deliver teams organized in practice and what organizational models work and don’t work? What is the importance and how do you deal with stakeholder management? What do the solution architect deliverables look like, how do you arrive at these deliverables and how do you document this in a structured way? These and more questions will be answered with practical examples.

In subsequent breakouts, we will focus on exploring the challenging dilemmas at the heart of architectural design. What makes an architectural decision good or bad? How can we deal with the tension between scalability and maintenance? How does the role of software developer compare to the architect. These are some examples of the issues we can address.We invite you to submit your own challenging issues.

In breakout sessions led by experienced architects, we will discuss these dilemmas in depth and come up with innovative solutions. After the breakout sessions, we share key insights and reflect together. This is not only an opportunity to deepen knowledge, but also to network within the architecture community.

In short, an inspiring and valuable experience for software developers and architects.

Given by: Oscar van der Leij and Cris Cadinu

28nov basecamp utrecht
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roel van bergen

Unleashing AI Superpowers: Beyond the Sandbox!

Ever wondered what would happen if AI could break free of its sandbox and gain real-world superpowers? In this talk, we’re taking AI beyond its limits, diving into the world of AI agents and unleashing a toolkit that transforms potential into action. With the power of Microsoft’s cutting-edge Semantic Kernel framework, we’ll explore how to unlock new levels of autonomy and intelligence. Get ready to see how AI can evolve from a simple assistant into an unstoppable, dynamic powerhouse!

28nov basecamp utrecht
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Bart van nierop

Unleashing AI in Coding: A Hands-On Introduction to Cursor AI

In this session, we’ll explore how Cursor AI streamlines coding by providing intelligent code suggestions, refactoring, and auto-completion. We’ll demo its key features like multi-line completions and AI-assisted navigation, showing how it enhances productivity by taking care of repetitive tasks.

Just like Tesla’s self-driving tech handles the mundane parts of driving, Cursor AI takes care of tedious coding details. Developers can now focus on creativity and logic while Cursor handles code generation and refactoring in the background.

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