2026-02-03, 12:25–12:30, D.Aud
Ever shipped a "simple fix" at 4 PM on Friday that took down production? Felt like a genius after making Kubernetes work, only to realize six months later you understood nothing? Welcome to the beautiful, chaotic feedback loop of technology work. This talk explores how our brains betray us in the most predictable ways. You'll discover why dopamine hits from solving problems make us addicted to complexity, how the Dunning-Kruger effect means we're most confident when we know the least, and why the tech industry's rapid change keeps us perpetually cycling through peaks of "I've got this!" and valleys of "I know nothing."
James Freeman is a published author and Senior Technical Account Manager at AWS, bringing over 25 years of technology expertise. With more than a decade of hands-on experience, James has tackled complex enterprise challenges in real-world production environments using Ansible, often introducing this powerful automation tool to CTOs and organizations for the first time. As the author of five authoritative books on Ansible, James is a recognized thought leader in IT automation. His expertise extends to facilitating tailored Ansible workshops and training sessions, and he is a sought-after speaker, having presented at international conferences and community meetups. James's passion for empowering others through automation continues to inspire engineers and businesses to unlock new possibilities in IT.