I’ll kick things off with a memory from the very first HalfStack! Back then, we weren’t quite sure what the event would become, so we embraced a mix of interesting talks. Our first presenter overslept, but it worked out great, as the timing worked better in the second session. It was a live building of Flappy Birds clones in the browser in real-time—back in 2015! As the session progressed, the rain started pouring and the room was pattering with rain hitting the metal roof. The place was filled with Flappy Birds sound effects all out of sync. It was five years ahead of its time. Then, Ruth John wrapped up the day with a DJ set, where everyone played beats through a simple web app. This experience showed us that music, games, and sound in general were a key part of making HalfStack amazing. In that moment, we found our purpose. And with that, I’m grateful to everyone who helped us make every HalfStack event memorable!

HalfStack ( halfstackconf.com/ ) returns to London on the 12th of November and to Phoenix on January 30th. And hopefully to Vienna sometime in the Spring. It's challenging to explain HalfStack sometimes. It's a creative series of events we started 10 years ago in London to celebrate the possibilities of the web and JS platforms. Over the years it has evolved, as our community has evolved. It's just a fun creative day. Yes, there are presentations, but it's getting people together for a very chill day of fun with good food, drinks, laughs and more that makes our community great. Lifelong friendships have been made at HalfStack, and that is the reason I keep trying. With a fun purposeful afterparty. And always some unexpected surprises to keep it fun. This may be the last series of HalfStack events. I love organizing them, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to make it all work. Costs are up, ticket sales and sponsorships are more challenging, and other personal things are taking up more time. If you can afford a ticket, please purchase one and join us to celebrate. If you can sponsor, that is appreciated. If you could just tell a few friends or colleagues why they should attend, that would also be amazing.

Instead of solving easy problems, I wish we were putting most of the AI investment towards accelerating the solving of hard problems like climate change or aging or cancer.

Pretty much the best group conference photo ever... flickr.com/photos/voodootiki… @voodootikigod @DojoFramework