In this episode of Señors @ Scale, Aris — founder of CityJS and longtime community builder — joins Dan to talk about the journey from small local meetups to organizing one of the fastest-growing global JavaScript conferences.Aris shares his unlikely path into programming, starting as a basketball-loving student in Greece with no computer at home, to innovating on the job with early Java projects, and eventually embracing frontend frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue. Along the way, he reflects on the competitive yet collaborative nature of programming, the evolution of the frontend ecosystem, and why choosing the “best” framework often depends less on hype and more on context.We dig into the heart of community building: why meetups matter beyond the pizza, how to create opportunities for first-time speakers, and the hidden challenges of finding sponsors and keeping attendees engaged. Aris also opens up about the leap from organizing monthly gatherings to running large-scale international conferences, and why he believes conferences should be treated as professional training — not optional perks.🎯 Whether you’re a frontend developer, a meetup organizer, or simply curious about what it takes to build thriving developer communities, this conversation offers a rare inside look at the messy, human, and rewarding world of tech events.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Name Origins04:14 Aris’s Journey into Programming06:56 First Job and Early Experiences09:32 Transition to Frontend Development12:23 Framework Preferences and Ecosystem14:56 Meetups and Community Building17:44 The Importance of Networking20:11 Organizing Meetups and Conferences22:54 Creating Opportunities for New Speakers25:41 Challenges in Meetup Attendance27:32 Sponsorship Strategies for Meetups34:28 Transitioning from Meetups to Conferences39:37 The Value of Conferences for ProfessionalsFollow & Subscribe:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senorsatscale/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neciudev🎙 Podcast URL: https://neciudan.dev/senors-at-scale📬 Newsletter: https://neciudan.dev/subscribe💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neciudan💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/se%C3%B1ors-scale/#javascript #conferences #developercommunity #frontend #meetups #cityjs #softwareengineering #techevents #communitybuilding #señorsatscale #webdevelopmentDon’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more engineering stories from the front lines. Have you ever spoken — or wanted to speak — at a tech meetup or conference? Share your experience below 👇