TedxTalk - Homo SAPdevelopus
Do you want to know what a "Homo SAPdevelopus" is and whether you belong to this category? A brief summary of the TED Talk and some comments.
Table of contents
This article provides background information on my TED Talk, the decision regarding its content, and the actual presentation from the evening.
Introduction
On November 20th, the SAPfluencer Award 2025 took place in Bielefeld, with awards to be won in four categories. Different influencers from the SAP ecosystem were eligible to nominate themselves for the various categories. At the event, the different categories competed against each other in various formats (5 per category) to win the prize. The categories were:
- Female Empowerment & Inspiration
- Innovation & Technology
- Infotainment & Community Engagement
- SAP Podcast & Show of the Year (Special Category)
In the "Innovation & Technology" category, the Software Heroes were nominated as the final five, and I was tasked with preparing a TED Talk for the evening.
Preparation
How do you actually package a topic like content creation and blogging? I decided to focus on the target audience and put them at the center of my talk. The developer as a distinct category, with their specializations and unique challenges. To ensure that the actual ideas fit the presentation, I opted for a very simple style: few colors, a distinctive comic-book look, and a focus on the message. Accordingly, you will find very little text on the slides.
Ted Talk
Here is the actual talk, divided into three sections to follow the main thread of the presentation and to focus on the developer.
Evolution
Humans evolved from apes to Homo sapiens in approximately 300,000 years. In the process, they learned things like making weapons, creating fire, and building complex machines. With digitalization and the need for business software, humans have continued to evolve over the last 50 years. This gave rise to the new species "Homo SAPdevelopus," specializing in development and customization.
Problems
Even "Homo SAPdevelopus" is a specialist. He learned his tools, such as the SAP GUI, his beloved SE80, and all the tables from his business module. This allowed him to survive for decades because he entered into a symbiosis with the average business user to support them in their daily work.
But we are concerned. The species "Homo SAPdevelopus" has retreated further into its shell in recent years. The new and improved tools are rejected, and the new technologies are too cumbersome to learn. Even in Walldorf, you can't find suitable courses anymore. What has happened here?
Help
And this is where I want to help. For the last 8 years, I have been supporting "Homo SAPdevelopus" on his journey into the new world. I show him that not all bad documentation is set in stone, but that things can also be explained more simply. I don't just show the tip of the iceberg, but also go below the surface to understand the whole wonder and shed light on the darkness of technology. Things should be fully understood, and continuous learning should become part of everyday life again.
With this, I show "Homo SAPdevelopus" a path he can follow in the coming years to be prepared for the future.
Result
The evening was exciting and the competition was fierce. There were many interesting presentations, and in the end, the audience voted to determine the actual winner. Unfortunately, I didn't win in my category, but I gained some valuable experience and saw some talented speakers.
Feedback
The event was very well organized, and the venue had everything one could need. Daniel, Sarah, and their team had thought of everything that makes for a great evening. Therefore, my thanks for all the effort involved in making the event a success. The time management could use some improvement, not only for the entire event but also for the presentations; I would have preferred stricter timeboxing.
I felt a bit lost in my category afterward. While the category was announced and people who share things and contribute to the community were introduced, in the end, none of that was actually shown, and we were essentially just judging one presentation, which only represents a small fraction of one's own work. At least, I wouldn't know how to condense eight years of work into a three-minute TED Talk on a completely different topic. Therefore, in the end, the winner was the person who spoke best and emotionally engaged the audience. And I still don't know who that person actually is or what makes them tick.
But there were also many other bright spots that evening. People with whom I've been exchanging ideas for years and who contribute to the community's development. Therefore, thanks also to Frank, Föß, Jörg and Sören.
Conclusion
Because it was quite a friendly atmosphere in the end, I could certainly imagine participating in another event. Then the only question would be whether next year the SAPfluencer will be the most convincing or the person with the most audience appeal. Therefore, thanks also to the colleagues at Ankerkopf for all the organization; that's not something you can just do on the side.
