What is the Agile Baltimore Unconference?

In this version of our Sound Notes podcast, Derek Huether sat down to share how he created, organized and hosted the inaugural Agile Baltimore Unconference. This October, Derek led the sold out one-day unconference which featured over 100 paid attendees, all with a common passion for agile and lean development methodologies. Unlike traditional conferences which rely on heavy upfront planning and coordination, Derek shares how he used agile practices to plan and run the entire unconference.

Show Notes

• Unconference Update: 00:30
• What is an Unconference 00:55
• Is it like an open space with time boxes? 01:45
• Unconference Methods 02:18
• Ainsley Nies schools Derek on Open Space 02:33
• Getting Agile Alliance Sponsorship For the Event 03:40
• Making up Your Own Rules for Your Unconference 04:30
• Another Difference between a traditional conference and an Unconference 04:48
• How the people who show set the agenda 05:30
• What were the main topics 05:57
• 500 ideas within 15 minutes 06:10
• Paring 500 ideas down to 9 topics 06:39
• The most Agile Like conference I’ve been to 07:04
• Why Derek spends time at Lean Coffee and Open Jam when he attends Agile conferences 07:10
• The most Popular Topics at the Unconference 08:26
• They commanded an hour and a half passionate, deep conversation 09:12
• Everyone is engaged 09:36
• More organic conversations 10:10
• Number of attendees 10:13
• Why Derek wanted to limit the number of attendees at the event 10:25
• Turning people away – The good problem to have 11:20
• Learning from running the event and planning for next time 11:40
• Comparing the size to other events 12:30
• Planing for another Unconference next fall 13:26
• Planning a half day Lean Coffee event for spring of 2016 14:00
• Finding out more about expanding it to other cities 15:00
• AgileBaltimore.org and other local sites/events 15:35
• Derek’s new blog – derekhuether.com 16:00
• Transforming from a PM to an Agile Coach 16:45
• Finding more on Leadingagile.com
• Derek’s role at LeadingAgile 17:35
• Derek on Twitter and everywhere else 18:00
• Derek Huether Pants 18:30
• Finding Unconference Videos and Pictures 19:00
• Expanding the Unconference 19:30

Links Referenced:

Open Space Technology
Lean Coffee
Ainsley Nies
AgileBaltimore
DerekHuether.com