Announcing Our Keynotes: Carson Gross

We're honored to announce our first keynote speaker for DjangoCon US 2025: Carson Gross

We had the opportunity to sit down with Carson and ask him a few questions about his work, his upcoming talk, and what he's looking forward to at DjangoCon US 2025.

How do you use Django?

I do not use Django very often because my main profession is teaching and we mainly use Java. However, the Django community has embraced HTMX, a web library that I created, and so I have a lot of friends in the community.

How do you see Django evolving over the next few years, and what excites you most about its future?

I'm excited to see how HTMX & Django can continue to drive forward the notion of hypermedia-oriented web applications.

Can you give us a teaser about what your talk is about?

I will be speaking about the philosophy of Nintendo Game Designer Gunpei Yokoi who created the original Game Boy. His philosophy translates as "Lateral Thinking with Withered (or Seasoned) Technology" and I am going to apply that thinking to web development, particularly the combination of HTMX & Django.

What are you most looking forward to at DjangoCon US 2025?

I am looking forward to meeting people and talking about hypermedia.

What are your favourite topics at conferences?

I enjoy technical deep dives in particular, especially when they start from first (or simple) principles.

How do you view the connections made at conferences?

I love making connections, but I am pretty remote living in Montana so they tend to be relatively short lived unfortunately.

Can you tell us about your career journey?

I went to college thinking I would be a computer programmer, since I enjoyed it in school. I dropped out of CS due to being overwhelmed in the program I was in. I ended up getting a job as a programmer anyway because that was what people were hiring for at the time. I eventually went back to grad school and finished getting a masters in computer science.

After that I worked in the Bay Area in a traditional software company for about a decade, then moved on to found a small company. I eventually had to sell that company due to partner disagreements and decided to move to Montana and try teaching at Montana State. Over my working career I also created a few open source projects, the most famous of which is HTMX.

How did you approach your career growth?

To be honest it has been pretty chaotic, with many moments that seemed hopeless.

When did you start speaking at conferences, and what has your experience been like so far?

I have been speaking at conferences since 2016, when I gave a talk on Intercooler.js, the predecessor to HTMX. It was to an almost empty room. It's gotten better since then.

What do you like to do outside of your typical workday?

I like skiing, fishing & hiking with my family.

What advice would you offer to attendees who wish to contribute to Django or its ecosystem after the conference?

Unfortunately I can't really offer anything specific on this one, other than just trying to do good work & be nice to people.

Are you ok with people asking you more later?

Of course.

Be sure to follow Carson on the HTMX handle on X!

We can't wait to hear Carson's keynote at DjangoCon US 2025! Stay tuned for more keynote announcements. If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, they’re still on sale. We hope to see you in Chicago.