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Aug 7, 2026

Psychological Safety in Software Engineering - Jenny-Margrethe Vej & Alexandra Hou Aldershaab

The '10x rockstar developer' is a myth that breeds burnout. Discover why psychological safety and neurodiversity are the true foundational requirements for high-performing software delivery.

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#1 about 3 min

Intersecting neurodivergent support and technical operations consulting

Combining backgrounds in neurodiversity and technical operations reveals a shared need for sustainable work environments.

#2 about 2 min

Treating developer mistakes as team learning opportunities

Framing errors as systemic issues rather than personal failures encourages continuous learning and innovation.

#3 about 3 min

Navigating corporate pushback against diversity and inclusion

The tech industry faces mounting challenges as companies retreat from essential accessibility and diverse hiring programs.

#4 about 3 min

Aligning inclusive team environments with developer productivity

Fostering open communication empowers diverse perspectives to identify architectural traps and improve system design.

#5 about 3 min

Moving away from the lone rockstar developer myth

Emphasizing collaborative practices over individual heroics produces more sustainable and effective software engineering pipelines.

#6 about 3 min

Diversifying student demographics in computer science education

Broadening university admissions introduces fresh perspectives into human-computer interaction and inclusive product design.

#7 about 5 min

Using data to drive inclusive university faculty hiring

Presenting concrete evidence of toxic environments compels institutions to overhaul network-based hiring algorithms.

#8 about 3 min

Creating localized safe spaces within rigid work cultures

Small groups can establish psychological safety in specific meetings before attempting wider organizational transformations.

#9 about 5 min

Improving developer retention through supportive management practices

Investing in an environment where employees feel heard significantly reduces costly staff turnover.

#10 about 4 min

Demonstrating the business value of inclusive office environments

Simple accommodations like silent lunch areas boost overall employee well-being and reduce code review friction.

#11 about 5 min

Balancing remote work flexibility with personal care responsibilities

Allowing engineers to adapt their schedules around family needs increases both job satisfaction and technical output.

#12 about 4 min

Rejecting unsustainable overtime and toxic startup expectations

Artificial intelligence productivity gains should reduce working hours rather than setting impossible expectations for continuous output.

#13 about 5 min

Preserving the senior developer pipeline amidst automation

Relying on automation for junior tasks threatens the long-term development of experienced software architects.

#14 about 3 min

Implementing practical meeting structures and blameless post-mortems

Providing clear agendas and accepting asynchronous input enables team members to communicate without fear of retribution.

#15 about 2 min

Managing cultural differences in direct engineering feedback

Carving out dedicated time for collaborative pre-meetings mitigates misunderstandings caused by blunt communication styles.

#16 about 3 min

Transforming human resources into a supportive employee resource

Proactive and empathetic check-ins redefine the human resources function from disciplinary action to genuine employee assistance.

Matching moments

5:18 min

Addressing psychological safety and ethical risks of AI adoption

Vera Slavnić Vera Slavnić · Europe 2026 Virtual

8:08 min

Q&A on making workplaces inclusive and software career advice

Joana Simoes · LIVE

1:31 min

Addressing developer burnout and the impact of artificial intelligence

Pauline Pagliaro Pauline Pagliaro · WWC 2025

2:08 min

Navigating and mitigating the impacts of broken engineering cultures

Oskar Kruschitz Oskar Kruschitz · Europe 2026 Virtual

2:20 min

Practical strategies for thriving as a neurodivergent software developer

Dennie Declercq · WWC 2022

4:10 min

Preventing developer burnout by avoiding toxic productivity trends

Katja Träumner

Upcoming sessions on this topic

Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

The Broken Rung: How AI is Rebuilding Software Development from the Ground Up

Tomislav Tipurić

Chief Technology Officer, Nephos

Tomislav Tipurić
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Building the AI Era Through Developer Communities: A Competitive Advantage for Engineers & Teams

John Komarnicki

National Executive Advisor at Code & Coffee | Engineering & AI Community Leader

John Komarnicki
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

When Humans Stop Writing Code: Rethinking Languages, Compilers, and Responsibility

Simon Auer

Organizer of flutter vienna meetup and CEO of marqably

Simon Auer
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Beyond the Code: Human-AI Synergies in Product Development

Ajita Kanchivakam Ananth

Staff Technical Program Manager at Google

Ajita Kanchivakam Ananth
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Culture Doesn't Scale Itself: Leading Engineering Teams Through Hypergrowth and the AI Transition

Thanos Baskous

VP of Engineering and Co-founder of Cogent Security

Thanos Baskous
Open session

World Congress 2026 North America

Engineering the Pivot: How Creative Strategy Solves the Hard Problems of AI Accuracy and Scale

Shruti Tiwari

AI/ML product manager, Dell

Shruti Tiwari

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