Gaining Confidence in PostgreSQL as an App Developer – November 18 Meetup

On November 18, the Illinois Prairie PostgreSQL User Group will host our final meetup of 2025 featuring Jay Miller, Staff Developer Advocate at Aiven and a prominent voice in developer education and community engagement. This talk brings a fresh perspective to a challenge many application developers face but rarely admit—fear of the database layer.

In this presentation Jay explores the emotional and technical barriers that keep developers at arm’s length from PostgreSQL. As more applications integrate AI and data-driven features, developers can no longer treat the database as a mysterious black box. Through his experience building a vibe-coded application, Jay will demonstrate how embracing PostgreSQL can unlock better user experiences, more reliable applications, and greater developer confidence.

Jay Miller has made a lasting impact in the developer community through his work at Aiven and as the founder of Black Python Devs, an organization dedicated to expanding access to Python tools and education for Black developers across the globe. Known for his relatable teaching style and enthusiasm for community-driven growth, Jay brings both practical insights and inspiration to this session.

This meetup is a valuable opportunity for developers of all backgrounds—especially those who identify as “application-first” rather than “database-first”—to discover how PostgreSQL can empower, rather than intimidate, in modern software development.