Talks I'd Be Interested In

PyBeach 2026 Edition

I somehow ended up as the Talks Chair for PyBeach 2026. And by somehow, I mean I volunteered. But that's because I want PyBeach to be a success. And you can be part of that success too!

But how? (You might ask...)

By submitting a talk so that I can chair it! I want to chair ALL THE TALKS!

Ahem.

Well, no, not just me. I'm grateful to have more than a handful of volunteers who will help with the review process.

Since our reviewers all have different backgrounds and interests, there may be some subjects that they may find more compelling. But as a rule of thumb, a well-prepared proposal with a solid topic has a pretty good chance of being selected.

Why Should I Submit A Talk?

Every time I've submitted a proposal, I've learned something new, even if my proposal did not get accepted.

There is a process to it. Settling on a subject or topic. Imagining the act of delivery. Developing and writing an abstract, description, and outline. This all builds confidence and competence—valuable skills in almost any endeavor.

But most of all, you should submit a talk because you have a unique perspective. No one else has been in your shoes. Well, unless you let people borrow your shoes... but, wait, do people do that? Let other people wear their shoes? What am I talking about? Shoes? Oh no, I've gotten derailed.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, perspective!

I happen to think that individuals who are unsure that they have anything worth saying are actually people who should be saying more! They have a point-of-view that tends to be neglected.

What Should I Talk About?

Well, that's what this blog post is for.

As a primer, let's look at what's on the website. Per the PyBeach CFP (Call for Proposals):

We are looking for talks that broaden the perspective of Python users (at any level), inspire others to contribute to the Python ecosystem, and challenge us to color outside the lines (of code).

Well, that's pretty broad and not super helpful (don't worry, I'm the one that wrote that).

So, to give you something a little more tangible, I've decided to write this blog post. Mind you, if you can't make it to PyBeach, but there are other Python-related conferences in your area, feel free to take any of these ideas!

Keep in mind that this mainly reflects my interests. If you have something to talk about that's not on my list, but it still fits within the ethos of the above statement, you should feel confident in submitting your proposal.

Broadening the perspective of Python users is a good signpost. Also, you can inspire others by telling stories of your own contributions, whether in code or community. I'm also very curious to hear stories that stretch the boundaries a little bit.

Okay, the primer is out of the way. Let's do this.

Angst

I know, I know. It's a weird topic.

But ignoring it doesn't mean it's not there. We've heard from open source maintainers who are looking for ways to deal with incessant contributions from non-human sources. Is there something that hasn't been said? Do these realities require subtle or drastic changes to how we govern our projects?

How about young people who are entering the workforce? What scares you? What excites you? Do you see opportunities? Is there anything that inspires you?

What are some ways that tech workers can coalesce? Are there lessons learned from building communities within the context of Python which might help mitigate the displacement of recently laid off tech workers?

Is there work being done in software, or through community-building, that counteracts the current political climate?

Arts

Look, we're holding a conference in Los Angeles (County).

How is Python used in the arts and entertainment industry? Could it be useful in novel ways? Is the industry threatened by new forms of technology? Are there ways that traditional Python tools could mitigate some of the displacement?

Have you used Python to make music? How did you do it? Why did you do it? What did you learn?

At a PyCon open space, we talked about generating algorithmic images using Python, and whether that constitutes as "art." Have you used Python as part of your artistic "medium"?

Web

What does it mean to be "on the web" these days? If you already know Python, would you try to build your own dynamic site and self-host (VPS included), or would you turn to a static site generator (SSG)?

What are some techniques to get the most out of your web framework of choice? Are there paradigms to API design that are not often discussed?

With generated content oozing into the internet, as well as the crumbling of search as we know it, what are some of the ways that we can keep our human, online communities thriving?

Project Structure

The way you structure your projects can begin to apply pressure to your overall design. What are some considerations for starting your new projects? How do you decide if you're writing an application or a library? What's the difference?

When (if ever) is it time to refactor a long-standing project? What are some of the tools that help keep your development seamless and your projects tidy?

Data and Databases

Most business domains deal with data in some form or another. If you're using Python, this may mean reading Excel or CSV files, populating dataframes, or using full-fledged database/data lake solutions (and everything in between).

What are some of the ways you are dealing with data in your domain? Have you figured out how to use SQLite or duckdb to your advantage?

What are some design elements from a code perspective that help you (or maybe hurt you) in terms of how you understand your data? Are there lesser known tools that solve specific problems in this space?

Python 3.15

The newest version of Python is due to be released in early October. There are several cool new features, including new builtin types (frozendict and Sentinel), a dedicated profiling package, and explicit lazy imports.

Is there one of these features that has you excited. Do you have some ideas on how you will use lazy imports?

Scattered Thoughts

While those topics above tend to interest me personally, like I mentioned above, there will be a team of reviewers, each with their own set of interests. And there are a lot more things you could talk about.

• Python in academia
• Psychology and engineering practices
• Security in this bonkers world of threat after threat
• Ethics and programming
• Career considerations for newer devs, underrepresented groups, or career hoppers
• Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD)
• Settings and/or configuration management for your projects
• Cool terminal tricks and tools for your development environment
• The magic of Python (the venue is a magic theater after all!)

And plenty of other things my brain is unable to conjure up at the moment...

I'm Still Not Sure

That's okay.

You've got a little bit more time to mull it over. The CFP closes on June 7.

But really, it doesn't hurt to try. The worst that can happen is that your talk doesn't get selected. Perhaps it would sting a tiny bit, but like I said earlier, there is much to gain by going through the process to begin with.

And at the very least, by submitting a proposal, you'll be making the Talks Chair very happy! And that's something!