In the world of technology and innovation, there is a significant demand for meaningful knowledge sharing, work-related discussions, and a relatable peer-to-peer community. Given that a substantial portion of our team consists of engineering and product experts and enthusiasts, Lemax have decided to establish a product&tech community we are cultivating ourselves.
How Did It All Start?
It all began in 2020. By that time, the Lemax team had been dedicated to a single product for over 15 years, gathering valuable insights, experiences, and expertise. We always aim to implement the best industry practices and technologies, and we are confident in our team, product development, and substantial know-how within this field.
However, one can never claim to know everything. This made us want to keep being curious and open to new ideas.
During that time, most events had a strong emphasis on technology. Therefore, we intended to shift the spotlight towards sharing practices connected to product development in a broader sense.
We decided to start a relatable tech community of experts within the Croatian IT market through informative talks. The idea was that these experts, who have encountered or are currently facing similar challenges as us, come together to facilitate a form of knowledge exchange. Our aspiration was to foster connections and share insights in an informal setting.
During the pandemic, we temporarily paused the development of this initiative and resumed it actively in 2022.
Building Our Community
From the beginning, we wanted this to be more than just another meetup; instead, it’s a smaller gathering exclusively for specialists and those actively working in roles where they encounter the topics we discuss. With fewer people, we can provide a more comfortable environment for sharing, presenting, asking questions, and discussing.
Our Product&Tech Talks are for mid and senior professionals who are hands-on in operational tasks and are (aspiring) experts in those areas. We have seen various roles present, including mid and senior developers, software architects, product owners and managers, business analysts, and more.
We started building the community by reaching out directly to those in markets where we knew they were working, encountering relevant business topics, and then expanding our network through referrals. The idea is to open the event to the public if there are any available spots, but primarily, we aim to build the network through the experts we contact and their networks.
Purpose of The Product&Tech Talks
Product&Tech Talks serve as a community for experts who either already work on a product, especially a SaaS product, or are enthusiasts who wish to switch to a product-driven company. Product companies face many distinct challenges and patterns, so this product and tech community can collaboratively strategize and refine solutions.
The purpose is simple: to facilitate the exchange of successes and even failed attempts. Our mission is to provide a platform for shared insights and collaborative growth.
Talks Throughout the Year
The Product&Tech Talks are organized periodically throughout the year – every quarter. While under one umbrella, most Talks are tailored to each group individually (Product, Tech), enabling them to connect with their peers and discuss specific topics. As there’s an overlap in interests and subjects driven by the interdependence and collaboration between these two groups, future plans involve exploring this shared space further with our participants.
Individual Talks can cover various topics – from highly technical demands and soft skills development to tackling business challenges. As the topics vary, the formats include lectures, workshops, panel discussions, open table talks, and networking-focused gatherings.
Discovering the Benefits of Our Community
The value of this product and tech community isn’t just in information sharing. It’s about gaining direct insights from seasoned professionals who have been through it all in software and product development. Hearing real-life anecdotes and experiences from them provides insights that inspire one’s journey. Moreover, attendees can equip themselves with tools, practical tips, tricks, and techniques to overcome common obstacles encountered in their work.
It’s not only about learning or seeking advice; it’s also about finding comfort in realizing that you are certainly not alone in your struggles and that we often go through similar things.
Interested to Join?
After each event, we collect feedback to shape new topics, formats, and speakers. We also seek feedback on the overall experience and satisfaction of our Product&Tech Talks – to ensure we can steer this initiative in the right direction going forward.
Here are some of the feedbacks of our participants:
“Everything was excellent and I’m really glad I attended. It was interesting to hear the experiences of others and how they deal with situations that we, as PMs, often find ourselves in.“
“Just keep going and bring us many more interesting topics. Continue to be so energetic during the lectures, in communication, and in answering questions.“
“Thank you for the effort! Really commendable presentation style, it wasn’t dry at all, but rather very engaging, making it easy to actively follow the content.“
If something caught your eye and you want to know more, we invite you to join us as a new Product&Tech Talks participant. For up-to-date information on the latest topics and scheduled dates, we recommend following our social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn), where we regularly share news and updates.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion, please get in touch with us at product-tech-talks@lemax.net. 🙂
