ConFoo is a premier developer-focused conference that brings together professionals from across the software industry to share insights, explore new technologies, and engage in meaningful discussions. This year, EDB VP and Postgres Evangelist, Bruce Momjian, attended ConFoo, marking his first return since 2014. Unlike PostgreSQL-specific conferences, ConFoo provides a unique opportunity to connect with developers using a variety of programming languages alongside Postgres, offering Bruce a fresh perspective on how Postgres fits into the broader developer ecosystem.
A Developer-Focused Experience
Bruce says he appreciates ConFoo because it’s about so more than databases—it’s a broader conference where developers of all backgrounds come together to discuss their work. Bruce tells me, ”I like this conference because it's not a PostgreSQL conference, but a developer conference. I get to hear from people who use all sorts of programming languages with PostgreSQL.”
Throughout the conference, Bruce had a wealth of opportunities to engage with developers from diverse technical domains, learning how they integrate Postgres into their applications and workflows. Of course, Bruce has attended ConFoo many times over the years. Here’s his conference report from back in 2012.
Beyond the sessions, ConFoo is also well known for its creative social events. Bruce recalled a previous ConFoo where attendees had the chance to visit a traditional Canadian Sugar Shack, or cabanne à sucre in French, which is a rustic cabin in the woods where sap is collected from the nearby maple trees and boiled into maple syrup.
Postgres, AI, and lapel pins
Bruce delivered two talks at ConFoo, sharing his deep expertise in Postgres. His first session, Postgres in the AI Trenches, resonated with attendees, with one person telling him after the session that it was “the best AI talk they had ever heard”. AI is an increasingly popular topic at tech conferences, and Bruce’s insights into Postgres’ role in AI workflows underscored the growing intersection of databases and machine learning.
If you attend Postgres conferences around the world, you may already be aware that Bruce has a famous collection of more than 90 lapel pins. The reliable presence of a unique lapel pin on Bruce’s jacket each day has become a bit of a conversation starter at conferences, with some attendees eagerly anticipating each day’s choice. The genius behind this system? Bruce’s wife, Christine. She helps pair each conference talk with a corresponding lapel pin. The first to make an appearance at ConFoo this year is a pin of HAL, from the 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Diving into Query Optimization, and pinball
The next day, Bruce started his morning with a croissant—and a round of pinball. This year’s ConFoo venue featured four pinball machines, and Bruce had a great time playing, even if his pinball skills are a little rusty. Bruce tells me this is his first serious pinball session since his teenage vacations on the New Jersey shore.
Later, Bruce presented his talk on Explaining the Postgres Query Optimizer, shedding light on one of the most complex and powerful aspects of Postgres. Notably, his lapel pin for the day was a Spock pin—chosen by Christine as a nod to Spock’s role as the “optimizer” of the USS Enterprise team.
Meaningful Conversations Beyond Tech
ConFoo isn’t just about technical discussions—it also offers valuable leadership and soft skills sessions. One talk on leadership sparked a deep conversation between Bruce and another attendee about supporting developers who might be underperforming, and ways to encourage them to reach for their full potential. While the challenges of leading a dev team differ from the challenges of leading within the PostgreSQL community, the strategies and solutions often overlap, making these discussions incredibly relevant.
Wrapping Up ConFoo
As ConFoo came to a close, Bruce reflected on his experience while heading to the airport to head back home to Pennsylvania. His plane had to be de-iced, perhaps a fitting metaphor for the process of refining ideas and preparing them for action.
EDB is proud to be part of the vibrant Postgres community, and Bruce’s presence at ConFoo highlights our commitment to fostering knowledge-sharing within the global open-source ecosystem. Whether discussing AI, query optimization, or leadership, EDB’s Postgres experts continue to engage, educate, and connect with developers worldwide.
