JSConf Spain 2026: I Had a Blast (And Learned a Ton)

I said it as soon as I got home: I had an absolute blast. JSConf Spain 2026 was one of those conferences that just clicks on every level, and that’s rarer than it should be.

Every single talk and session was useful — whether for revisiting fundamentals or learning things I’d never come across before. I know the talks and workshops run at the same time, but the upside is you can watch the ones you missed afterwards, so you don’t really lose out.

And even though this is my newsletter and I could go on forever, I’ll focus on what stood out most.

Javi Velasco: hearing someone say what you’ve been thinking for years

It was genuinely satisfying. I’ve been defending a particular take on how things should be done for three years, and seeing it laid out on stage — with that level of mastery, that polished presentation, that clarity — is one of those moments you really appreciate.

Javi is brilliant, but he’s also a genuinely warm person. I had the pleasure of talking with him for a good while, and he turned out to be as approachable as he is interesting. One of those encounters you remember.

Jaime Gómez-Obregón: fundamentals as a superpower

At first glance, he might seem like a radical. The quick takeaway from his talk could be something like “don’t use frameworks if you don’t need them — think hard about whether you actually need THAT thing”. And yes, that reading exists.

But I think the real goal was different: making the case for truly understanding your fundamentals. Knowing what’s really going on under the hood of the tools you use makes you far more precise when choosing them. It helps you reduce dependencies, know when a library actually makes sense, and when you’re just adding unnecessary complexity. In the best case, you might not need external dependencies at all.

Brilliant in substance, even if the delivery can feel provocative.

Alan Buscaglia: the workshop I didn’t see coming

If I had to pick one highlight from the whole conference, it would probably be this workshop.

First, the relief of not being the only AI and subagents nerd in the room is real. Second, seeing what Alan has built genuinely impressed me. His libraries are something else, but one in particular — Enggram — has enormous potential for teams. So much so that I think it clearly outperforms my own tool for solving the same problem. And I say that without any ego, because recognising when something is better made is exactly how you improve.

On Alan as a person: a 10/10. Charismatic like few people are, with a unique personality and the energy of someone who genuinely loves what they do. One of those people you’re glad you met.

The event overall

Special mention to the event host, Miguel Ángel Durán, better known as midudev. A legend. One of those people who knows how to make everything flow and set exactly the right tone from the very first moment.

The stands were varied and all the representatives were great to talk to. The only downside was that the pizza at lunch disappeared in literally 15 minutes… the same 15 minutes I spent talking with Alan in a group when I should have been grabbing pizza. Fortunately they ordered more and I made it to dinner in reasonable shape.

Would I recommend it? Without a second thought.

FAGS

What is JSConf Spain?▼

JSConf Spain is a software development conference focused on JavaScript and web technologies, bringing together speakers and professionals to share knowledge through technical talks and hands-on workshops.

Who is Javi Velasco?▼

Javi Velasco is a highly regarded frontend developer in the Spanish tech community, known for his work on high-impact projects and his clear, well-structured talks on web architecture and components.

What is Enggram and why does the author highlight it?▼

Enggram is one of the libraries presented by Alan Buscaglia during his SConf 2026 workshop. According to the author, it has enormous potential for development teams, especially in the context of AI agents — to the point of outperforming previous solutions for the same problem.

Is it worth attending SConf if you can't make it to all the workshops?▼

Absolutely. Talks you miss live can be watched afterwards, and the value of hallway conversations and breaks often exceeds that of the formal sessions themselves.