cover image: Painting on the east wall of the north bay of central audience hall of Chehel Sotoun Palace, Isfahan, Iran
You should speak at a conference.
I mean you specifically. I didn't write this for someone else.
Not enough experience? Balderdash, speak about how you're getting started and questions you still have.
Haven't done public speaking before? Good news the conferences are online now, hide the chat and pretend you're monologuing alone.
Someone else could do it better? I guarantee audiences are tired of hearing from the same 5-10 speakers in a given field. And most of the smartest, most interesting speakers never give talks at all because they lack time or motivation to do it.
So I'm saying you should do it.
There are so many open CFP's, google "[programming language] cfp" and I guarantee you half a dozen events are desperate for more submissions.
First time speakers are a prized get for organizers. You have a point of view no one has heard. Go share it!
My team at New Relic has an open CFP right now. DM me on twitter or comment below if you'd like help with a first pitch:
Mutuals, if you'd like to talk at this let me know and I will help! https://t.co/SNEF9u7z4I
— Nočnica Fee (@ServerlessMom) August 17, 2020
Top comments (6)
I feel like lately, almost all talks at tech conferences are a way to stand at a platform (now a virtual one) and sell or promote something. Either a new library/project/framework/SaaS product or something and has led me to the question a couple of times...
What to talk about that is useful, not live-coding and not selling.
Yea, so many talks are like this. "Hey, I am using [Language X], and at our company we spent the last year building [Product Y], and here's our experience", then proceeds to spend 75% of the speaking time more or less blatantly selling that product.
Some topics to consider:
1) here’s how I solved a complex problem
2) I tried this library and learned something from it.
3) these three products all do the same thing, here’s what I learned after trying all three.
4) here’s how I learned to do x
Appreciate the response. I guess what's left for me is to solve a complex problem or trying new libraries/products haha.
I have some more learning to do. omw
Speaking in front of groups, small and large, is a massive skill to build and a massively valuable one too. Learning how to do this well has helped my career greatly. If you can present or lead an interactive session at a conference, do it (especially if it's at Nerd Days). Don't put it off. Listen to Nica.
I always wanted to speak at a conference, but I can't find a topic that seems to be really relevant and that someone hasn't spoken about it before. It's the hardest part...