Couldn’t make it to Nebraska.Code? We’ve got you covered. Aviture’s team hit the stage with a series of insightful talks spanning leadership, culture, code comprehension, and keeping development moving. Whether you’re an engineer, manager, or somewhere in between, here’s a quick dive into what our speakers shared.
Meet Our Speakers and Their Sessions:
Arthur Doler
Culture & Community Steward, Sr. Software Developer
“Digging into the Matrix: Practicing Code Archaeology”
Most of the code you work with wasn’t written by you, and that’s normal. But when we don’t understand it, we tend to dismiss or rewrite it without fully grasping its purpose. Arthur challenged that instinct, urging devs to take an archaeological approach to unfamiliar code: explore its history, uncover its context, and consider the humans who created it.
Blending insights from psychology and archaeology, Arthur showed how to reduce the cognitive load of reading old or unfamiliar code, and how to uncover the hidden stories baked into it: past requirements, team culture, even user needs.
Takeaway: Code is a human artifact. Understanding its past helps you work smarter and avoid repeating mistakes.
Jeren Hicks
Dinosaur Enthusiast turned Program Manager
“Lightning Talks: Sparking Continuous Learning and a Healthy Culture”
In fast-moving tech, continuous learning and a strong culture are vital. At Aviture, Jeren shared how employee-run Lightning Talks, short, 10-minute presentations every other Friday, empower team members to own the learning process. Topics range from Kubernetes and AI to dinosaurs and espresso, blending professional growth with personal passion.
These talks boost curiosity, morale, and communication skills while creating a supportive space for knowledge sharing. Jeren walked attendees through how to launch and sustain similar programs, proving you don’t need fancy formats, just consistent time, encouragement, and a curious team.
Takeaway: Small, grassroots rituals like Lightning Talks can build a culture of curiosity and connection without a heavy lift.
Jerry Koske
Chief Strategy Officer
“Level Up Without Becoming an NPC”
Stepping into leadership doesn’t mean you have to hang up your hoodie or become a “meeting zombie.” In this session, Jerry shared his personal journey from being a hands-on developer to a strategic leader, without losing his identity or passion for the craft.
Rather than viewing leadership as a departure from technical work, Jerry reframed it as an opportunity to expand your impact. By staying connected to your roots and bringing technical credibility to the table, engineers-turned-leaders can shape culture, influence direction, and make a difference, without sacrificing what made them successful in the first place.
Takeaway: You don’t have to abandon your inner nerd to lead. In fact, that “nerd cred” might just be your superpower.
“Your Status Looks Great – Shame About the Actual Results”
You’re under budget. The roadmap’s on track. The DORA metrics? Practically glowing. And yet… the business still isn’t impressed. Jerry pulled back the curtain on a harsh reality: flawless execution doesn’t guarantee meaningful impact. When we obsess over delivery metrics and pretty charts, we risk missing the metric that really matters—value.
This session exposed how static value assumptions, scope cuts, and perfect burn charts can lead teams to build software that checks all the boxes… and still fails. With a few comedic jabs at corporate habits and some uncomfortable truths about “best practices,” Jerry challenged attendees to refocus on what leaders actually care about: outcomes that matter.
Takeaway: High scores don’t always equal high impact. If you want to lead projects that truly succeed, shift from showcasing execution to delivering relevant value.
Brandon Suponchick
Chief Technology Officer
“Beware The Horsemen of Software Slowdown: Debt, Decay, and the Good Idea Fairy”
As teams grow and systems mature, slowdowns creep in, not always from bad code, but from decisions made with good intentions. Brandon spotlighted three culprits:
- Technical Debt: Known shortcuts that pile up
- Technical Decay: Slow erosion we fail to see
- The Good Idea Fairy: Distractions disguised as improvements
Brandon shared how to spot each one, communicate their impact to leadership, and decide when to fix, pause, or walk away. The session gave devs and leaders a shared language to protect velocity before drag sets in.
Takeaway: Know the difference between debt, decay, and distraction, and act before progress quietly slips away.
Wrapping Up
These sessions captured a wide spectrum of what it means to build software today—technically, culturally, and strategically. From mastering code archaeology to preventing project stagnation, each talk offered practical tools to help teams build smarter, lead stronger, and grow faster.
A big thank you to Nebraska.Code for hosting such a fantastic event and giving us the chance to share these ideas. We look forward to continuing the conversation and seeing you at future events!
