I'm very excited to be giving a presentation at PyCon '07. A 30-minute slot is tough because the Star Schema can be confusing. The coding is pretty transparent (IMO), but the background for why I had to do this and places where it can be used are more interesting than the code itself. However, it's about Python -- really -- not dimensional modeling design patterns, so that helps to narrow the focus.
Decades ago, my employer had an annual technical conference, and I presented papers every year on a variety of subjects. But that was relatively easy: the conference was open to any topic, and the pool of potential presenters was very small. I was one of a few dozen employees that took the time to create a suitable presentation.
This is different. The pool is potentially much larger, the levels of expertise are much higher. I know that I'm a good speaker because I get invited back to speak again by people who've heard me. However, the technical depth a PyCon is intimidating.
I work for a services firm. Some of our customers are starting to smell the advantages of adopting Open Source solutions. At this point, our primary market is Large IT, with some penetration into "SMB" (Small to Medium Businesses). No one with revenues under $2B can afford to talk to us for long. These organizations tend to be dominated by the Microsoft FUD message. Older companies have grown out of the IBM FUD message and embraced the new MS-FUD V3.0. Open Source solutions are, consequently, tainted.
I'm hoping to learn about Open Source adoption. In particular, I'm looking a products which my company should start learning about so that we can adopt the "Red Hat Business Model" and offer support and customization. If we identified only one or two Open Source projects, made significant contributions, and landed support, integration or customization work because of our support, that would give us a first step down the road of a business model that has dramatic growth potential.