DjangoCon US 2023 Topics Inspiration List

Published May 6, 2023

New Features and Future Outlook

  • New Django features

  • New Python features of interest to Django devs

  • Django retrospective (where it has been, where it is now, is it in a good place relative to itself and other web dev frameworks?)

  • What’s on the horizon or could/should be on the roadmap

Opinionated Django

  • Django deployment options and tradeoffs in 2023

  • Different ways of doing things in Django and when to use which option

  • The best tools/packages to have in your Django toolbox in 2023

  • Favorite workflows, Git, CI/CD, GitHub Actions, local/prod, developer experience tools, etc.

How to Raise Your Game

  • Practical async (going beyond the docs and a few tutorials to using day to day)

  • Security (OWASP 10 and Django)

  • Testing (pytest, Playwright, Selenium, etc).

  • Type hinting

  • Lesser known, but highly useful Django features

  • Database optimization

  • Website optimization

Python Packaging and Open Source

  • New developments in Python/Django packaging

  • Adventures in open source Django development

  • How to get started with open source, Django open source, packaging

Novel uses for Django

  • Experimental apps

  • Historically relevant apps

  • Your interesting Django story/adventure

  • Lessons from managing/scaling Django in a unique or difficult way in your company

  • Prototyping with Django for fun and profit

New-ish or Experimental Technologies

  • Co-Pilot, ChatGPT, etc. for Django devs

  • PyScript

  • WASM

  • React/HTMX debate

  • Using JavaScript and Django together: Alpine, Svelte, etc.

  • Tailwind

  • Datasette

  • What tools I haven’t heard about, but would want to know about

How to Use/Better Use Popular Add On Tools (Admin, API, etc.)

  • Wagtail

  • Butter CMS

  • Django Rest Framework

  • Fast API

Team, Leadership, Building, Learning

  • Product management (features, prioritization, OKRs, teamwork, etc.)

  • Lessons from software engineering management

  • Interesting mental models, productivity methods, learning approaches, the counter-intuitive

  • Educators/authors in our community (their experiences and thoughts about how to learn effectively)

Django Fellows

  • Getting to know what they do, how core works

  • Contributing to Django

  • Learning more about our new fellow :)

Addressing Hard Topics/Making New Progress

  • How to bring more diversity to: our steering council, core dev, contributor base, community

For even more ideas, see my fellow DEFNA Board Member Jeff Triplett’s list.