Less than half of a C++ developer’s job involves coding. We are introducing a new track at CppCon 2025 that will explore important topics that impact our careers, businesses, and yes, the health of our language. This track makes room for important issues and great talks that fall outside of our traditional state of the C++ language tracks.

We are looking for talks that are built from expertise, experience, and research that will spur discussion about one’s career development. For example, Laura Savino’s 2023 keynote, “Coping with Other People’s Code,” confronted the larger realities facing a maturing software shop.

Other topics could include:

• What matters to C++ engineers working to manufacture appliances, cars, or robots
• How our jobs or businesses are impacted by regulations in robotics, finance, or manufacturing
• Going from being a hands-on engineer to management or to the C-Suite (and back to being an IC)
• Finding career success without climbing the management ladder
• Will the decisions you make as a startup survive your company’s success?
• The art of code review
• Collaboration across teams, departments, and organizations
• Committing to the open source community
• What we can learn from the C++ community, its history, and the state of C++ in universities

If you have any questions or suggestions, or if you’d like to discuss ideas for presentations, please contact the Business and Career Track Chairs, Sherry Sontag and Elena Vorobyeva.