A Synthetic Scar Tissue Factory – An Interview with Jeffrey Snover
What makes a technical conference truly valuable?
Is it the sessions, the demos, the latest technologies being discussed?
According to Jeffrey Snover, inventor of PowerShell, the answer lies elsewhere.
During PSConfEU 2026, Jeffrey shared his thoughts on community, learning, career growth, and why events like PowerShell Conference Europe continue to matter in an era where information is available everywhere.
One quote stood out:
It’s a synthetic scar tissue factory.
It may sound unusual, but it perfectly captures the value of a community-driven event.
Experience is often gained the hard way. We try something, make mistakes, solve problems, and learn from them. Conferences accelerate that process by allowing us to learn from the experiences of others before facing those challenges ourselves.
As Jeffrey explained, sometimes the most valuable lessons are not found in documentation, blog posts or presentations. They come from conversations over breakfast, discussions in the hallway, or exchanging ideas with peers who have already solved the problem you’re facing.
Even after decades of involvement with PowerShell and its community, Jeffrey still attends PSConfEU and still learns something new every year.
For him, one of the most rewarding aspects of the community is seeing attendees grow throughout their careers. Many arrive as individual contributors and return years later leading teams, driving initiatives and becoming trusted technical leaders within their organisations.
That spirit of knowledge sharing and mutual support has been part of PSConfEU since the beginning and remains at the heart of the event today.
In our full interview, Jeffrey reflects on:
- Why community matters more than ever
- The value of learning from others’ experiences
- Career growth through technical communities
- The future of PowerShell in the age of AI
- Why he still enjoys attending PSConfEU after all these years
We hope you enjoy the conversation.
🎥 Watch the full interview below.
If you’d like to join us next year, you can already register your interest for PSConfEU 2027 and be among the first to hear when registration opens.