How did we get here?
I didn’t mean to become a coder. I am an accidental tourist on this journey. I wanted to be a comic book illustrator or maybe an architect. I wanted to build things. I wanted to draw. But from a very young age, I knew I wanted to do it on my own — out from under the man. A tall order, indeed.
I was lucky on this journey, but I worked my ass off to get here. I experienced freedom, failure and, eventually, funding. But freedom is what fueled my drive and became my passion. And all the other freedoms that came with success: Freedom to think. Freedom to create. Over time, I learned that coding and developing are all about creating. It’s an art form.
Plus, this is Croatia. From a very young age, we are taught to code. It’s a cultural thing unique to the region and it’s why we have some of the best developers in the world. I learned being a coder is not dissimilar from being an artist. In fact, it’s exactly the same. Stay with me here.
We are all working with a blank canvass. In business and in life — developers and artists — we start with nothing and create something meaningful and with purpose (hopefully). At Shift Dev, that is what we stand for — creating stuff that no one else can imagine — we are all splashing paint (or code) on a blank canvas. As developers, we see things no one else sees. We disrupt. We innovate. We change known perceptions. We solve problems. And, frankly, we hack shit. And we are absolutely unapologetic about it.
The blankness of that canvass is what keeps us all engaged. It's a concept unique to what we celebrate at Shift Dev — creation. That’s what we stand for.
At its core, problem solving is always more than spreadsheets and code. It is equal parts art and science, equal parts poetry, music and comic book illustration. And where we stand today, we, as a community, have the opportunity to disrupt and reimagine known ways of thinking and we have the power to lay the foundation for the future.
I may not be a comic book illustrator by day, but I am proud of what we have created at Shift Dev. And I invite you to become a part of this movement. Register here
Let’s hack some shit and make a lasting impact.
Ivan Burazin
Founder, Shift Conference
The biggest Developer Conference in Southeast Europe. This event, Shift 2018 is the seventh and will bring together more than 1300 attendees. During the two conference days, Shift becomes a meeting place for developers in the most beautiful city in the world.
All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organisers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.
Leading up to the conference, please contact us via email or twitter and we'll do our best to address your concerns.
During the conference, please contact any of the staff.
Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organisers.
Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualised clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they'll be wearing branded clothing and/or badges.
Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.
We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.