Last year I attended Open Source Summit Japan thanks to the Linux Foundation diversity scholarship. As a relatively new coder who had just immersed in the wonders of open source some months ago, I had a blast. I remember thinking "I would love to come back next year as a speaker".
And I did! π You can find my talk description and slides here. Sadly, the session itself wasn't recorded.
So, did anything happen during that year? Something than somehow transformed me into speaker-worthy-material?
No. The only difference was I went and submitted that proposal. Of course, there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes, but one that comes naturally along with loving what you do. However, after it was accepted, I must admit I regretted my decision more than a couple of times: I felt I didn't know the topic well enough, I didn't have a mentor to supervise what I was going to say, I didn't have enough time to prepare... and all the classic self-sabotage/impostor syndrome talk many of us are used to.
Now, my secret sauce to overcome those feelings was simple: I focus on why I want to talk to the world and what I want to convey. What would maybe have lighten up a spark in me some years ago? As a teen, I didn't imagine something like the open source community even existed, let alone that it would be so exciting. After giving some talks at high schools, I found the situation is pretty much the same and I really want to change that.
Of course, there are infinite forces that may drive you. To help you find some of them, I would like to share some of the insights I used to shut up the excuse generator in my own brain.
π¬ Common excuses NOT to give a talk π¬
- English is not my first language
- I just can't speak in public
- I have nothing interesting to talk about
- Everything I know is too basic
- What if they ask me difficult questions?
- I can't handle PowerPoint
π₯ What may FUEL YOU to give a talk π₯
- Things you care about that are not that well known
- Important topics that are often misunderstood
- Underrepresented groups that may need more referents in tech
- That really cool project you worked on during summer
- Just keep on learning and advancing your career
Obviously, you'll gradually get better at public speaking, an invaluable soft skill for every job out there. I find it really useful to write down the key points I want to convey and how I imagine public interaction, reviewing the results after the talk. Your own honest feedback is very important for a steady improvement.
π’ Some tips for tech talks π’
- Present an overview of the topics you are going to cover
- Include a "what we've learned" or similar slide after each section
- Use motivating examples when possible
- Avoid using a monotonous voice - jokes are okay as well!
I personally follow a maybe not that traditional approach to talk preparation. Instead of rehearsing, I like to broadly discuss the topic with colleagues, friends and family subsets that volunteer. You'll get your share of questions, and will be probably even asked for clarification and diagrams. Use this material to upgrade your slides and gain confidence in the topic you're presenting.
π Some tips for workshops π
- Set aside 10-15min for introducing the tech stack and overall goal
- Prepare a Github project with code and general guidelines for your public to follow
- Regularly interact with the public and recap previous steps
- Offer an online place of discussion to clear up any issues (e.g. Git/Twitter)
Workshops can be reeeally dense for the public, specially if it's about a topic they are not familiar with. Similarly, if they are too familiar with it, interest may be lost as well. It can be hard to find the sweetspot, but supporting material is crucial for a productive session.
Public speaking, like almost everything in life, is an iterative process. It can only be improved by putting oneself out there and failing again and again.
You can find more tips in these wonderful posts:
Now find your reason and go crush those Calls For Papers! π₯
Top comments (7)
I just canβt. My brain works in a very specific way: it doesnβt actually remember data but it remembers methods to get that data.
If you ask me to explain something one hundred times, all the hundred explanations will be different.
When Iβm preparing slides for a tech talk, it counts as an explanation. And when itβs time to give another explanation (actually say things), the whole thing differs vastly from the slides. It just goes entirely different way.
This is why I write articles instead of talking. Iβve given talks and it felt awesome, but it just seems like itβs not quite my thing.
Or I can just go monologue without any slides at all but itβs not quite the status quo format of modern meetups.
Hi Miloslav, thanks for your comment!
I think what you describe is really interesting and can be great for talks! Maybe such a model won't fit everywhere (e.g. if the event is strict about submitting slides beforehand or abiding by a very specific format) but I certainly think it has great value in other scenarios.
For example, in talks I've given at highschools, where your main goal is to get people involved, conveying a structured amount of information is relegated to a second plane. You need to adapt to the public response's or even spontaneous requests. The goal is to spark interest and there's nothing close to a defined path for that. Maybe changing the way we use slides? Rather that serving as a link between a structured presentation, why not using them as additional resources? To aid in concept visualisation or providing examples, usable in whatever moment you may need them. I think it's very legit to use slides lightly, dynamically, and instead provide previously curated material online (e.g. your blog or Git). Your slide structure will probably differ from most talks, but the fact that your presentation will change each time gives you more opportunity to actively engage with the public.
Of course, it's just an idea - I really enjoyed reading your perspective :)
Thanks!
This really might be the way to deal with slides. Iβm not that experienced though (Iβve given few talks so far), but I know the guy who has 2500+ slides keynote he navigate through and use for his every talk.
Great post Patricia! I really like the different reasonings you share to give a talk and love the tips!
I never put a "what we've learned" section but I think I'll start putting it so that people know what they should have captured from the talk :)
Hi Isabel, many thanks for your comment! I'm really glad you found my experiences useful :)
Giving a talk is definitely something everyone should try if they can! All the tips you hit on are great to keep in mind. The key thing I've found is that whatever you talk about, as long as you're passionate about it, people will be eager to listen.
Hi Will, thanks for your comment! Yes, passion is definitely a key - and contagious! - ingredient.