When a technical demo becomes something more

17 Jul 2026

Waiting for the room to fill at Birmingham Digital and DevOps Meetup. image

On the train home after speaking at Birmingham DevOps last night, I’ve been thinking about why I’ve started to love getting back into public speaking. It is not really the technology itself anymore, it is what happens when the audience stops just watching and becomes part of what is happening.

People start looking around the room, comparing screens, reacting to each other and trying to work out what the wider system is doing. For a few minutes, the whole room becomes part of the demo, everyone has a role to play and nobody can see the full picture on their own.

I think that is what it has come to represent for me. Technology is interesting, but the bit that makes it special is the participation, curiosity and sense of wonder it creates, and the way it gives people something they do not just understand, but actually feel part of.

Build things which are just fun.

Adam Davis

Senior Systems Development Manager

Award Star

Adam is a seasoned Software Engineering Manager with over a decade of experience leading medium to large-scale teams of testers, QA professionals, developers, and release engineers. He is passionate about cultivating collaborative environments that spark innovation, both in professional settings and through side projects. Adam believes that side quests are crucial for nurturing creativity and skill development, allowing individuals to explore new technologies and approaches. With a focus on creating scalable solutions across diverse infrastructure platforms, he combines a practical and analytical mindset to address complex challenges. Adam is dedicated to fostering a culture where teams can thrive and achieve outstanding results.

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Simon Tomes

"Build things which are just fun." Love that! And while the MoTaverse platform is there for serious learning, we are also here to build things that are just fun. And bring that fun and joy into everything we deliver. Glad to hear your latest public speaking journey is going well. 🎉

July 17th

Adam Davis

Thanks Simon :)

July 17th

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