VS Code Dev Days Lima: Let Practitioners Show the Workflow

We almost declined the opportunity to organize VS Code Dev Days. The timeline was short, the format looked demanding, and we were not sure we could assemble the right program in time. We decided to try—and built the event around one simple choice: let people doing the work show the workflow.

Let the practitioners take the stage

We wanted students to see how AI-assisted development looks inside professional software teams. Instead of describing the possibilities in the abstract, we invited engineers from the banking industry to demonstrate how they use GitHub Copilot in their daily work.

Their examples made the topic more credible. Students saw decisions, limitations, and habits from real projects rather than a polished list of features. I learned new techniques from the speakers too.

A full room on short notice

The auditorium was almost full. Sessions started on time, the coffee break and materials were ready, and students actively participated in a GitHub Copilot challenge.

The event also gave our community more visibility inside the university. Faculty members who had not previously paid much attention to student events became curious and asked about the program.

This turnout was especially surprising because promotion started only a few days before the event. The clearest feedback was also the simplest: announce future events earlier.

The event we almost declined

Dividing the work across the team turned an uncertain opportunity into an event for around 100 people from several universities. The experience did not teach me that every opportunity should be accepted. It showed me that uncertainty is not evidence that a community cannot deliver—sometimes it is simply the moment when clear ownership matters most.

Beyond the auditorium

We shared the GitHub Student Developer Pack through a QR code and helped students apply. Most attendees already knew the Campus Expert program, but students from other universities contacted me afterward to ask how it worked.

The messages from other universities mattered because they showed the event had traveled beyond the people in the room. Practitioners shared their experience, students tested the tools, and the community created space for questions that do not fit inside a product announcement.