Welcome to Boston, everyone! I really wish I could be there with you this week, but it fell one week too late on the calendar for me. The kids start school here in Switzerland next week, so we're taking one last trip to the Alps before alarm clocks and lunchboxes take over our lives.
You're going to experience some mind-blowing talks. New features that feel magical, success stories that, a year ago, would have sounded like fiction. You'll meet dozens of people working on really interesting things. The energy will be contagious. Drink it in. These moments don't come around often enough.
As exciting as things are right now, I know that some of you put this trip on a credit card you can't afford to pay. You've lost your job. You've lost clients. Nobody seems to be buying what you're selling. You're hoping that maybe you'll make a connection with someone who can throw you a little work.
Many more of you are feeling just a little more secure. So far, your job is safe or your clients are sticking with you. But you're nervous. You can see the writing on the wall. You're under pressure to deliver faster or charge less because AI is doing the heavy lifting. The work isn't the same anymore. You're feeling more like a robot babysitter than an engineer. The paycheck is still coming in, so it could be worse. You came here hoping that maybe a connection you make could give you an escape hatch because you're not sure how much longer you can hang on.
To all of you at Laracon this week whose smiles and laughter are hiding fear, anxiety, and hopelessness, I want you to know that you're not alone. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of the people in the room with you are feeling at least a little bit anxious about the future. For every huge success story in the room, there are a dozen failed launches. Nobody's work today is the same as it was a year ago, and nobody is completely sure what it will look like in a year.
You're exactly where you need to be this week. Whatever your situation is right now, you're a valuable member of this community. The Laravel brand is good vibes, so you might think your job this week is to put on a happy face and swallow your fear. But behind that surfer facade is a genuine community of some of the most compassionate and loving people I've ever met.
Laracon is a time to celebrate the innovations and progress in the ecosystem, but it's also a time to connect. Real connection can be raw and honest. Talk to the people in the room with you this week about how you're feeling. Tell them where you're struggling. You'll be surprised how much you really have in common.
I know this because I gave a pretty raw and honest talk at the Laravel Switzerland meetup a few months ago. I went in worried that it was too dark a subject for a usually light-hearted and celebratory group. The conversations that followed were some of the most fulfilling of my career. This community is here for you, and they're ready to talk about the things you probably won't hear on stage this week.
And if you leave Boston not having found an opportunity to unburden yourself, call me. I want you to know that you're not alone and you're not being left behind.
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