Hi there! 👋
My name is Ekaterina, and I'm an organizer and a member of the program committee for Piter.js — a St. Petersburg meetup all about JavaScript and its universe.
By day, I'm a frontend developer with 12 years of commercial experience. Over that time, I've worked in different teams, tried dozens of approaches, and made plenty of mistakes where mistakes could be made. And this experience is exactly what helps me organize meetups today — especially when working with speakers.
Officially, I've been on the organizing team for three years, but honestly? I've been coming to these gatherings much longer. I first attended Piter.js back in 2017. The team was completely different back then, the vibe slightly different too — but the magic of live communication was already there. The meetups started being posted on the site in 2019 — the archive is up, feel free to check it out 😉
Now I'm not just a listener, but one of those responsible for the program, the speakers, and the photos. And today I want to tell you honestly how we live, what we love, what tires us out, and why we still haven't given up on this.
What Is Piter.js and Where to Find Us
It's a monthly free meetup in St. Petersburg. We gather once a month, listen to 2–3 talks, chat, and sometimes run activities. For example, one of the organizers recently hosted a game modeled after "Jeopardy!" (Svoya Igra) — to let guests stretch their brains and have fun.
Venues are provided by IT companies for free, and we openly thank them in our opening slides. But we don't do direct advertising, even for money — keeping the community's trust matters more. Sometimes the venue treats guests to pizza, other times food is covered by another sponsor — everything is transparent and without hidden strings.
How We Prep Speakers (This Is Where the Magic Starts)
A couple of weeks before each meetup, we hop on a video call with the speakers. It's not a formal "check-in" — it's real work on the material:
- cutting the fluff to fit the time slot;
- adding live examples and interactivity;
- restructuring slides so they're easy to read even from the back rows;
- suggesting where to crack a joke and where to pause for questions.
And here, my dev experience plays a key role. I have a good sense of what really matters to developers, what pain points we chat about by the water cooler, and what's already become tedious. So I give speakers not vague wishes, but concrete, actionable advice: how to rephrase a complex idea, which example will land better, what to emphasize visually, and what to trim. I always try to explain why — so the speaker doesn't just make changes, but understands the reasoning.
That said, the final word always stays with the speaker. We give recommendations, but freedom of speech and the author's vision are sacred. After all, it's their talk, their name on the poster — and if they feel a different approach works better, we respect that.
Experienced speakers are easy to work with — they already know our specifics. But sometimes newcomers deliver such a killer talk that the audience gives a standing ovation. And in those moments, I remember why we do this.
Occasionally, potential speakers come to us with gleaming eyes but no concrete topic. "I want to speak, but I don't know about what." And that's totally fine! We're always ready to chat, learn what they're good at, and sketch out a few possible directions. Sometimes one conversation is enough to spark a great idea.
But there's an important nuance: we won't come up with and fully develop the talk for you. We help polish, advise on delivery, steer you — but the main effort and authorship always remain with the speaker. We believe the best talks are born from personal interest and independent work. Our job is to make it even better.
What Happens After the Meetup? (Spoiler: Not Just Pizza and bar)
Organizing an event once a month isn't about "hanging out and chilling." It's about:
- finding a venue and sponsors;
- writing social media posts and announcements;
- checking gear (microphones, projectors, dongles — our eternal pain);
- live streaming (we stream every meetup);
- maintaining the website (registration, speaker applications);
- photographing guests, sorting through shots, and uploading albums.
We used to edit videos of every talk too, but we haven't done that for over a year now — there's simply no one to take on the editing. It's sad, but honest.
The Team: We Come, We Burn Bright, We Burn Out, We Leave (Rinse and Repeat)
In the three years I've been organizing, the lineup has changed more than once. Some join full of enthusiasm, but after six months realize this isn't a party — it's work. Some get tired and leave, others burst in with fresh ideas but cool off quickly.
Why does this happen?
- It takes a lot of time. Calls, messages, meetings — these are hours that could go to personal life.
- We work for free. Piter.js has always been free for attendees, and we don't charge an entrance fee — it's our principle of accessible knowledge. But when you're a volunteer, your motivation rests solely on the inner "I want to give back to the community."
And yes, I know the psychological paradox: free things are often devalued. But our meetups are no worse than paid ones — we have the same speakers as commercial conferences. We just don't have a marketing budget, but we do have soul.
Donations? $10 a Year. Markers! Bought!
There's a donation form on the site. In 2025, we received a total of 900 rubles (~$10 USD). We spent it on markers for the whiteboard. Seriously. And then for several meetups, guests could write wishes and draw on the board with them.
Who Comes to Piter.js and Why
We have regulars who don't miss a single meetup. There are those who tune in to streams from other cities. And every month, new faces show up.
For speakers, presenting means:
- a line on their portfolio and resume;
- a chance to showcase their expertise;
- a live dialogue with the audience, which sometimes turns into heated discussions.
For attendees — it's new knowledge, networking, and an opportunity to ask questions to someone who knows the topic deeper. Sometimes these discussions spark ideas for future talks. And that's beautiful.
My Personal Superpower — a Camera
At meetups, I often pick up a camera. I love capturing emotions: people walking in, listening, laughing at the speakers' jokes. I shoot portraits — not posed, but alive. And when a guest sets my photo as their avatar, I feel like I'm doing something meaningful. I want attendees to have a reminder that they were with us that day, and that we noticed them and appreciate their support. Even if it's just through a photo!
Instead of a Conclusion: Why I'm Still Here
Three years of organizing is a long time. And all this while, I kept working as a developer, writing code, diving into new things, and running meetups in parallel. Yes, it's tough to balance. But it's precisely because of my profession that I understand the value of live communication and sharing experience. That's why I stay.
I've seen people leave and join, formats shift, editors lost but markers found. I stay because every meetup gives something new. New faces, new questions, new insights. And because I myself once came to Piter.js as a newbie.
If you're in St. Pete — come. If not — watch the streams. If you want to speak — we're always looking for speakers (we need 2–3 new talks every month).
And if you want to help… well, you know, markers don't last forever either 😉
Piter.js is about people, code, and honesty.
See you at the meetup or online!
P.S. And one more thing: yes, we speak Russian at our meetups. But with AI-powered subtitles and translation tools, language is no longer a wall — it's just a minor detail. The insights, the community, and the vibe are universal. So whether you're joining from St. Pete or Singapore, you're welcome here.
P.P.S. If you're interested, I can later write more about our rules, talk preparation, the organizers' roles, and also briefly recap past meetups.
