Tech Leaders' Forum See what's coming

Conversations on leadership challenges

A curated, in-person forum for engineering and tech leaders.
We start with a panel. We stay for the conversations.

See what's coming up How it works

Real situations, difficult decisions, and lessons learned the hard way.

Tech Leaders' Forum sessions start with a moderated panel discussion and evolve into an open conversation with the room.

Attendance is intentionally limited to keep the atmosphere personal, thoughtful, and honest. The goal is not to create another conference experience, but a professional community where tech leaders can exchange perspectives without the usual performance mode.

Hosts

Hosted by practitioners who care about the real work of leadership.

Powered by CraftHub

Next Forum Session

Giving and receiving feedback — with or without AI

August 25, 2026 · Budapest Kluster

Feedback is one of the most powerful leadership tools, yet many of us were never really taught how to use it well. As AI becomes part of our daily work, it can be tempting to outsource feedback giving to the machine. On the other hand, LLMs are radically improving and becoming reasonably good in areas that were considered taboo before. Where can AI genuinely help us prepare, structure, or reflect on feedback, and what areas should a human single-handedly own despite technological advancements? We'll also explore why positive feedback is so often overlooked, despite being one of the most efficient ways to strengthen teams and motivate individuals. Join us for an honest conversation about giving feedback that can make a difference.

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Request to join when a session is open, or subscribe for updates.

Why join

01

Beyond the polished version

Panels are just the starting point; the most interesting conversations happen when audience members contribute their questions and experiences.

02

You're not alone in this

The messy decisions, the trade-offs, the doubts, the loneliness. They're more common than it feels like. Be a part of a community that shares the same challenges.

03

Conversations that stick

No slides, no lectures. Just ideas, first-hand experiences, and questions that stay with you.

What happens here

A small group from the local ecosystem. Different contexts, similar responsibilities.

Each session starts with a panel: people who have actually been in the situations we talk about. Then we open it up: questions can get more practical, answers less certain, and at some point the conversation might become more interesting than the panel itself.

How it works

  • Panel discussion: real stories, not theory
  • Open conversation: challenge, question, expand
  • Informal networking afterwards: continue the discussion, make new connections

House rules

  • What's shared here stays here
  • Challenge ideas, not people
  • No pitching, no selling
  • Leave space for others

In the room

Audience members and panelists holding colored cards during a Tech Leaders' Forum discussion.
Guests talking near the Tech Leaders' Forum registration area.
Panelists seated in front of the room during a Tech Leaders' Forum session.
Attendees networking after the meetup.
Attendees gathered around the venue during networking.

More than a meetup series

Helping build a real tech leadership community in Budapest.

Throughout the year, we host focused TLF sessions in smaller interactive formats.

At larger conferences like Craft and Compass, we also create dedicated Tech Leaders programs and discussion spaces.

Different formats, same goal: helping engineering leaders learn from each other and build meaningful connections.

Not just theory

Leaders from startups through scale-ups to enterprises, all dealing with similar kinds of problems.

Ákos Barta

Ákos Barta

Sr. Director, AI Strategist

LastPass

Balázs Bozsogi

Balázs Bozsogi

Chief Delivery Officer

Aliz

Lucy Woodhead

Lucy Woodhead

Engineering Manager

Treatwell

Máté Marjai

Máté Marjai

Engineering Manager

Primer

Tamás Michelberger

Tamás Michelberger

Tech Lead, Applied AI

WorldQuant

Tamás Tajti

Tamás Tajti

Development Manager

Slice

Where you'll find us

Tech Leaders' Forum sessions

Smaller, focused community events for engineering and tech leaders.

Upcoming

Forum Session August 25, 2026

Giving and receiving feedback — with or without AI

An honest conversation about giving feedback that can make a difference.

View session details
Conference Collaboration October 2026

Compass AI & Tech Summit · Tech Leaders Track

Tech Leaders' Forum special session as part of the Leadership track.

Explore the conference

Previous sessions

Conference Collaboration June 2026

Craft Conference · Tech Leaders Lounge

Facilitated discussions

  • What Are We, Exactly? Redefining the Tech Manager Role
  • What Do I Do With My Developers? Product Ownership, Agentic Craft, and Shifting Expectations
Learn more about Craft
Forum Session April 2026

Managing Remote Teams

Forum Session February 2026

AI use for Engineering Managers

Questions?

Reach out to the hosts