minnebar, the annual technology and software (un)conference where local tech enthusiasts gather to hear what’s new in the digital world, was back and better than ever this year. If you weren’t able to make it in person, we have you covered. Here are a few session recaps of this year’s event, put on by the wonderful people at minne*.

Changing the World of Publishing

Consultant, author, engineer and public speaker, Charles Edge (@cedge318), shared his insights into the changing world of publishing and what writers can do to advance their careers in today’s digital climate. A technical writer himself, Edge spoke about his own journey, which included writing an entire book during a layover in Amsterdam by seamlessly combining a few of his blogs.

“The industry is fast and [quickly] becoming a lean publishing type,” he says.  We live in a changing world where content may quickly become dated. Charles cautions that with “any writing you do, make sure you know the long term results of that material.”

His advice to writers and those wanting to publish: “Never self-edit, and build an awesome network” you can share your work with. When pitching ideas, he says, “Always have an outline and at least two chapters to send to publishers.”

“If you have the material, popping out a book adds a year of experience [to your career],” Edge says. So it’s worth it in the long run to publish something.

Want to find out more about Charles Edge? Check out his website, krypted.com.

Piranha Pool

This year’s Piranha Pool had the fiercest competition yet. We watched as three new startup companies pitched their business ideas to potential investors. This year’s contender’s were:

iCrimeFighter

A secure cloud web application, iCrimeFighter, let’s law enforcement agents collect all of their evidence in one place, using their mobile device. With this application, law enforcement can upload photos and video, take notes and record evidence. All evidence is then stored securely in the cloud for them to keep in police records.

BoomBoom Prints

An Etsy type store but with a backend fulfillment for artists, BoomBoom Prints provides a way for parents to find custom prints and goods for their children. It also gives artists a free marketplace to sell their work and expand their customer reach. BoomBoom Prints handles all transactions, customer service, billing and shipping, making it easy for both sides to buy and sell custom designed products.

PurchaseBox

Ever find yourself fishing through a pool of paper receipts or having to go through pages worth of junk email? PurchaseBox has the solution. By creating a secure email with PurchaseBox, users can organize all of their expenses in one place and receive shopping confirmations, newsletters and receipts in their PurchaseBox email as opposed to their main inbox.

Anyone Can Code

In a compelling talk about coding, women’s role in technology and the way we view education, 18-year-old Abbie Tuckner (@SeaSaltAndSun) encouraged us to question how we approach learning today.

“With the current state of education, I think we can all agree that it’s [become] hard for people to fulfill their dreams,” Tuckner says, “and [today’s] students are drowning in debt.” To avoid a similar fate, Tuckner decided to turn down a college education to attend Dev Bootcamp, an intensive 90-day web development school.

“I’ll be the first of my [high-school] graduating class to get a job through a tech boot camp,” Tuckner says.  “Right now, the best education I can get is by doing things hands on and taking online courses.” A few online programs Tuckner recommended were Lynda.com, Codecademy and Khan Academy.

Tuckner says she is happy in the career she found as a result of the tech boot camp. She now wants to encourage other women and people her age to take a closer look at the different opportunities available for a career in tech.

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Intrigued and want to know about the next minne* event? Follow them on Twitter or check out their website.

Want to read more event recaps like this one? Check out our Scoop blog for more insights. For regular updates on tech industry jobs and events, follow our Scoop newsletter.

 

 

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