Public speaking: why and how?

Introduction

I still remember the first time I stood up to speak at a local tech meetup. My heart was pounding, and I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. As an engineer in the tech industry (and a tester at my inner core), I had always been more comfortable behind a screen than on a stage. Public speaking felt intimidating. Over time, however, I discovered that sharing my ideas in front of an audience was one of the most rewarding decisions of my career. In this short book, I want to share my journey and hard-earned lessons about speaking at meetups and conferences. My goal is to help beginner speakers: engineers, testers, managers, anyone in tech – gain the confidence and know-how to step up to the microphone.

Public speaking is a skill, not an innate talent. In fact, fear of public speaking is extremely common. Up to 75% of people [1] experience “glossophobia”, the anxiety around giving speeches. I was definitely one of them. If you feel nervous about speaking, you’re in good company. As the famous Mark Twain quipped, “There are only two types of speakers: the nervous and the liars”. In other words, even seasoned presenters get the jitters. They’ve just learned to cope with it. The good news is that anyone can learn to speak effectively with practice and preparation. I certainly didn’t start out as a confident speaker, but through experience I improve little by little. Each talk becomes easier than the last.

This guide is organized into three parts. In Part 1, we’ll explore the “Why’s”. Why people choose to present and why I decided to start speaking. Knowing your motivation can inspire you to take this challenge. Part 2 is about the “How’s” of preparation. How to craft a great tech presentation, from choosing a topic to rehearsing. Part 3 covers how to deliver your presentation smoothly on the day. Dealing with stage fright, engaging the audience, and handling Q&A. Throughout, I’ll share personal anecdotes, practical tips, a few checklists and the best advice from my colleagues (from complete beginners to speaking gurus).

Whether you’re a QA tester who’s never spoken beyond team meetings, a junior developer thinking of giving a lightning talk, or a manager asked to present at an industry conference, this guide is for you. By the end, I hope you’ll feel that public speaking in tech is not only doable, but possibly even enjoyable. It’s okay to be nervous. Feeling that way just means you care about doing a good job. With that, let’s start by examining the big question: why even do public speaking in the first place?

The “whys”

Why would a busy tech professional bother to prepare a talk and speak in front of an audience? The answers will vary for everyone, but understanding the “why” is important. In my case, I stumbled into public speaking almost by accident. I was attending a testing meetup where I heard an inspiring talk about a new automation approach. After the session, I ended up in a conversation with the speaker. He encouraged me to share my experiences in testing, saying that even as a newcomer I had valuable insights. My first reaction was, “Who, me? What do I have to talk about?” But his encouragement planted a seed. Over the next few weeks, I realized I did have a story to tell. A recent project where I introduced a QA lab. I decided to turn that experience into a short presentation. That small meetup talk changed my perspective, and it was the first step on my speaking journey.

One big reason people present is to share knowledge and passion. Perhaps you’ve solved a tricky problem, mastered a tool, or learned a lesson the hard way. By speaking about it, you can help others in the community. In the tech world, we thrive on shared learning. By teaching others, we also deepen our own understanding. In fact, trying to explain a topic to an audience will quickly reveal what you truly know and what you don’t. It’s a fantastic learning experience for the speaker as well. I’ve found that preparing a talk forces me to research and organize my thoughts, which makes me more expert on the subject. As the saying goes, the best way to learn something is to teach it. [3] [4]

Another motivation is professional growth. Public speaking is a great way to develop leadership and communication skills. Many engineers (my past self included) aren’t naturally comfortable speaking to groups. But in leadership roles or customer-facing situations, being able to present confidently is a huge advantage. Even if you’re not aiming for management, being known as someone who can articulate ideas clearly can open up career opportunities. I’ve had conferences and webinars lead to job offers and consulting inquiries, simply because speaking increases visibility. It helps establishing personal brand as a knowledgeable professional in your field.

Community and networking are also major benefits. When you speak at a conference, you often get free access to the whole event. You can attend other sessions, learn from fellow speakers, meet people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. I quickly learned that tech conferences are as much about hallway conversations as the formal talks. By standing on that stage, you become part of the conversation. Other attendees will come up to you afterward to ask questions or continue the discussion. I’ve made wonderful connections this way. In fact, as an introvert, I found that speaking actually made networking easier. It gave me a common talking point with others. Joining as a speaker made it easier to connect, because attendees will naturally start conversations with “I liked your talk…”. Those post-talk chats have inspired new ideas and even friendships. The tech community is full of bright people, and speaking puts you right in the middle of it.

There is a real satisfaction in contributing to the community. Throughout my career I’ve learned so much from blogs, open-source projects, guides and talks that others have given. At some point I realized I wanted to “give back” and share what I could, to repay that karma. When someone comes up and says “Your talk helped me”, it’s an amazing feeling. Moreover, taking the stage can boost the confidence tremendously. It’s scary, yes. I won’t pretend it isn’t. The first few times I spoke, my nerves were through the roof. But doing something scary and surviving it is how you grow. Public speaking was one of the scariest things I’d ever done, but pushing beyond my comfort zone proved to be immensely rewarding. Each successful talk made me more confident not just in speaking, but in tackling other challenges too. It’s a virtuous cycle: the more you stretch yourself, the more you realize you’re capable of.

Lastly, there are some fun perks! If you speak at out-of-town conferences, you might get to travel to new places (often with expenses covered). I’ve visited cities and countries I might never have seen otherwise. It turns those business trips into mini-adventures. I explore local sights, try new foods, gain fresh perspectives, learn new culture along the way. Conferences are an escape from daily work and an opportunity to recharge creativity. Some of my conference trips have been as memorable as vacations.

Everyone’s reasons to speak will be a bit different. Maybe you want to advocate for a cause, like encouraging more diversity in tech. Maybe you have a unique testing technique you’re excited to popularize. Or maybe you simply want to challenge yourself. There’s no wrong reason. What matters is that you have one. When you know what you want to get out of speaking, it gives motivation to push through the hard work of preparation and the butterflies on stage.

1. Challenge yourself / build courage

Mesut Durukal: Challenge myself. Public speaking is not easy; it requires social courage. Once you start, it gets easier, but the first step is scary. I just wanted to close my eyes and push myself into the sea.

Marko Rytkonen: To overcome my fear of talk. I’m nervous when speaking, but I enjoy it! The feeling afterwards is “winner” or “rock star” type, I suppose (not sure as I’m NOT a rock star :).. The same is when I organize testing seminar in Finland. The feeling is something you do not get easily from other hobbies.

2. Travel & fun

Lisa Crispin: I started speaking at conferences in order to GO to conferences, so I could learn and meet people. I also volunteered and did everything I could to get to them, because my employers couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for me to go.

Lisa Crispin: Instead of being totally stressed out every workshop, I started to have fun. It’s still stressful for me, and I’m exhausted at the end. But I get to recharge by getting to attend other sessions and meet awesome people.

Mesut Durukal: Since I’m already in a new country or a beautiful city, why not spare a few days for sightseeing?

Jonas Hermansson: I speak at conferences because I truly enjoy it … most importantly — it’s fun! It’s an opportunity to strengthen both my own and my company’s brand … and most importantly — it’s fun!

Michal Buczko: I love the confereces. The vibe, atmosphere… Smile beats the fear, have a story to tell and share it with the room.

3. Networking, visibility, personal brand & career growth

Mesut Durukal: Increasing visibility and meeting new people. It helps grow your network.

Anupam Krishnamurthy: Speaking at a conference also lends credibility to my work.

Benjamin Bischoff: Speaking at a conference has a lot of benefits for your personal development and your career … you expose both your personal and your company brand.

Oren Reshef: One of the requirements for senior level is public speaking.

Vitaly Sharovatov: Public reputation or a clear personal brand is a great proactive signal which is almost always received and considered at the earliest hiring stage, at the CV selection stage. This is why I believe it’s clearly beneficial to invest in public speaking (presenting at conferences, meetups, etc).

José Díaz: For some, it’s a step toward greater recognition within their company or professional life, or even a way to connect with a new employer.

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Finding new jobs and career opportunities: introductions from the stage done right turn into higher career progression if you manage the time at work vs time at conferences. My jobs have come from networks speaking cultivates.

Attila Fekete: There are many reasons: building your reputation, increasing your visibility, strengthening your personal brand, and opening doors to new opportunities.

Kari Kakkonen: It is a natural step forward in growing as a professional - sharing with others. It gives you credibility as a professional.

Marko Rytkonen: Get to know people and get people to know me. When you deliver talk, people will come and talk “naturally”.

Marko Rytkonen: Boost my book sales. Book sales is not about money, but it may open interesting opportunities (trainings, jobs, study groups…). Book and public talks will boost your career, in a unique and personal way.

Nicola Lindgren: You get to go to a conference and learn from others as well.

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): Also you have the expected recognition for being a thought leader talking about a topic, even if you are an expert or not, but I think more than recognition it will open you to say hello to everyone approaching you as you get off of stage and help them more directly and, who knows, maybe establish a new connection or even a friendship!

Emna Ayadi: You become known as expert when you speak and share new ideas.

4. Increase diversity of thought & exposure to trends

Mesut Durukal: Even just seeing the topics helps you understand the most common problems other people are facing, which tools are becoming popular, and the latest trends.

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Represent Finland, represent women, represent people speaking from experiences.

Dorothy Graham: Conferences have always been a way for me to learn new things, see how the software testing world is evolving, to explore technical innovations, and to stretch and feed my mind. I have made many good friends at conferences, especially among fellow speakers, and it’s great to meet up with them and renew the friendships at later conferences. I have also met and learned from delegates and attendees whose experiences illuminate how knowledge is put into practice, and the very real problems they have encountered.

5. Teaching is the best learning / deepen expertise

Clara Ramos Gonzalez: Teaching is the best way of learning, I’ve learned a lot and improved my own work when designing the talks.

Benjamin Bischoff: By thinking about it, reading about it and constantly reflecting on potential questions that could be asked, you slowly but surely turn into an expert of this topic.

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: I have learned a lot and many people could learn from what I did so far, and I am not done learning.

Marko Rytkonen: When you create talk you really need to think it. Not just the content, but also on how to say the things. The same is when you publish a book.

Richard Bradshaw: The act of creating a conference talks, significantly helps you understand your own learning and journey.

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): And speaking of learning, as Richard Feynman said, paraphrasing, one doesn’t truly understand a topic until you have to explain it. Or in this case present it. I think that giving a talk helps you cover any knowledge gaps you might have had around the presented topic. Not to forget that probably the topic is important for you or that you might feel that it is important for the world to know and learn more about it.

6. Fixing social awkwardness and increasing self/confidence

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Fixing sociall awkwardness: when you speak, they come talk to you. Meeting strangers is hard except when introducing yourself with a talk on stage. Maile Rohiväli: Speaking in public helps to grow self confidence and therefore makes everything at everyday work also much easier. All the talks between dev-s and testers - piece of cake ;). Public speaking also helps to get connections, it helps to make one self visible and career growth can be much more interesting: there are more options available, not just one or two directions. Getting to know and talk to other speakers gives good ideas how to do something better, create more value, maybe even just how to have more fun with everyday job. [5]

7. Happiness & self-esteem (eudaimonia)

Vitaly Sharovatov: Speaking at conferences contributes a lot to my eudaimonia … presenting can compensate for lack of social appreciation at work → recognition → self-esteem → greater happiness → productivity. [2]

Kari Kakkonen: It is a great way to attend a conference in a more central role than as a participant.

Bas Dijkstra: Because I enjoy it. I think public speaking doesn’t make a lot of sense if you’re not enjoying it. I myself like to share what I’ve learned with others, and maybe prevent them from making the same mistakes I made.

8. Giving back to and being part of the community

Anupam Krishnamurthy: Sharing my learnings at a conference is a small opportunity for me to give back.

José Díaz: Some people want to share their knowledge and experiences. Others see speaking as a way to get more involved in the community.

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Speakers dinners and the connections in the speaker community: you learn a bit from talks, but you learn tons from other speakers. And speakers hang out together.

Attila Fekete: Speaking can be as much about giving back to the community as it is about shaping your own professional journey.

9. Pedagogical urge / ethical drive

Vitaly Sharovatov: I have this ethical belief that if I can make the world a little better by sharing what I know, then I should.

Attila Fekete: People have many reasons for stepping on stage. For me, it has always been about sharing what I know and teaching others—there’s a special joy in passing on knowledge. On top of that, I’ve always loved being on stage, so speaking is both fun and personally rewarding.

Kari Kakkonen: It is sharing for the common good; why keep your ideas to your own?

Viviane Hennecke: Personally, I started for the wrong reasons. Colleagues of mine asked me to jump in when one of their speakers unexpectedly dropped out for health reasons. But I would say, for me I continued for the right reasons. When I discovered that I am neurodivergent (autism and ADHD), it changed my life. I had a sudden urge to help others realizing that they might be too and to educate on the topic in the general. Now, every submission has a personal message I want to spread.

Dorothy Graham: As a specialist in software testing, I wanted to share with others who could benefit from things I had learned; I have always felt that this was my calling - to help people in testing.

10. Authentic expression / theatre roots

Rahul Verma: I grew up on stage as a theatre actor. Conferences became the closest thing to theatre while staying a testing professional.

10. Free access to conferences

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: At least you did not have to pay full price to attend if you deliver a talk.

Benjamin Bischoff: Let’s not forget that as a conference speaker you not only get to visit conferences for free, but you also make a lot of new friends there.

Kari Kakkonen: It is a way to attend more conferences, and thus learn and network more effectively.

Marko Rytkonen: It enables participation to the conferences. Some employers do not support that, and some supports (So happy that current ones encourages and supports)

11. Business promotion

Dorothy Graham: When I first began, speaking was a way to publicise myself, as a self-employed software testing consultant and trainer, and later a small partnership. If people liked my presentation, they were more likely to want me to do some training for them.

Bas Dijkstra: It is a great form of shameless self-promotion. As an independent consultant, I’m always looking for ways to get my name out there, and public speaking is a great way of doing that. You won’t see / hear me sell my services directly during a talk, but I’ve had plenty of people coming up to me after a talk or a conference workshop asking if I was open to coming into their company. Well, of course!

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Entrepreneurial side gigs: Teaching can be a way of making a living too and conferences are ways of introducing you as someone with knowledge to teach or consult on.

Take a moment to think about which of these resonate with you, or add your own. Your story and perspective are unique. No one else has lived your exact experiences. Even if a topic has been talked about before, your take on it can bring value. I used to worry “I have nothing new to add”, but remember: you have a story to share too! Your viewpoint, whether as a beginner or expert, is always unique and can shine a new light on a subject. Once you find a reason that excites you, hold onto it. It will keep you going through the work of creating and delivering a presentation.

Now that we’ve covered the motivations behind public speaking, let’s get into the practical side: how do you actually prepare a good tech presentation? What steps can you take to craft a talk that will inform and inspire your audience? We’ll explore that next.

How to prepare a presentation

Preparing for a talk can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it. I remember staring at a blank page while planning my first conference presentation, not sure where to begin. The key is to break the process into manageable steps. In this section, I’ll share a step-by-step approach to crafting a great presentation, from selecting your topic all the way to rehearsing your finished talk. We’ll also discuss some tips specific to technical talks (like slide design and demos) and ways to get feedback as you prepare. By the end of this part, you should have a checklist of preparation tasks to guide you.

Choose a topic you care about. The best talks come from a place of passion or genuine interest. Think about what energizes you in your work. It could be a project you’re proud of, a tool or framework you love, a challenge you overcame, a lesson you learned. If you speak about something you truly care about, your enthusiasm will shine through and engage the audience. The best talks are ones where the presenter is passionate about the topic. It is also much easier to put in the hours of preparation if you enjoy the subject matter. So pick a topic that lights you up and that you think will interest others in your field.

If you’re unsure what to talk about, try a brainstorming exercise. Jot down all the topics or projects you’ve been involved with. Which of these had interesting problems or insights? Another trick: friends and colleagues often see our “expertise” more clearly than we do. I initially thought I had nothing special to share until a colleague said, “What about exploratory sessions you introduced in your team recently? That was cool!” Don’t discount things that seem basic to you. Unique experience with a common technology or process can still teach others something new. And remember, you don’t have to be the world’s foremost expert. If you’re a beginner, you can share a beginner’s perspective; if you’re a professional with many years of experience, you can share hard-earned wisdom. Every level has an audience. The key is to find a story within your context that others can learn from.

Know your audience and goal. Before you start writing your talk, consider who you’ll be speaking to and what you want to achieve. Are you addressing fellow testers at a testing conference? A mix of developers and managers at a tech meetup? Perhaps a non-technical audience (like a client or executives)? Tailor your content to their background and interests. If your audience is very technical, they might appreciate detailed data and code snippets; if it’s mixed (say, developers, QA, and some managers), you might need to start with more general context before diving deep. Sometimes the trick is to explain the topic in a way a child would understand first, then get into technical detail. This approach helps everyone to be on board with the basics before you get into the details. And it doesn’t actually dumb things down, it makes the talk accessible and keeps your credibility with diverse listeners.

Also clarify the purpose of your talk: are you trying to inform (teach the audience something new), persuade (advocate a certain approach or idea), inspire/encourage (motivate people to take action), or simply entertain (e.g. share a funny failure story with lessons)? Many tech talks blend these purposes, but it helps to prioritize. For example, if your goal is to inform, you’ll focus on clear explanations and examples. If it’s to inspire, you might include more personal stories and vision. Defining the goal will shape your tone and structure. Keep the end in mind: what do you want the audience to take away or do after your talk? Write that down and refer to it as your North Star during preparation.

Outline your story. Now that you have a topic and a sense of audience, start outlining your presentation. At its heart, a good talk is a form of storytelling. It has a beginning, middle, and end that takes listeners on a journey. Avoid the temptation to just dump a bunch of facts or slides without narrative, that risks presentation being very. Instead, think about the story arc of your talk: How will you introduce the topic and hook the audience? What challenge or question are you addressing? How did you approach it, what happened? Finally, what did you learn or conclude? Even in a technical presentation, this structure holds. For example, in an embedded testing case study I presented, my arc was: We had a problem (no automated tests for embedded software products) – after interviews with all stakeholders we tried Hardware in the Loop approach (the journey) – we discovered that this works perfectly for our needs (resolution). By framing it like a story, you keep the audience engaged and make the content more relatable.

Start with a basic outline on paper or a doc. I love to list the key points I want to cover on sticky notes first. It is then easy to arrange them in a logical order. It often helps to think in terms of sections or “chapters”. For instance: 1. Introduction (set the stage, state the problem or topic, why it matters), 2. Main Content (perhaps 2–4 major points or steps, each with supporting examples or data), and 3. Conclusion (wrap up, takeaways, call to action). Under each section, collect bullet points of what you’ll say. This is going to be a skeleton of the presenttion. Don’t worry about writing sentences yet; focus on the flow of ideas. At this stage, you might realize you have too much. That’s normal. Trim down to the most important points that support your main message. It’s better to cover a few points well than to overwhelm people with information. Each slide (or each segment of your talk) should convey one main idea clearly. If something doesn’t fit your core message, consider cutting it or saving it for Q&A.

Design visual aids (slides) thoughtfully. In tech talks, slides are common, but they should support your speaking, not steal the show. You are the presenter, not your slides. Keep them simple and legible. Use slides to emphasize key points, show diagrams, code snippets, or images that enhance understanding. Avoid packing slides with text and bullet walls that you will simply read out. That’s a quick way to lose audience attention. A good rule of thumb: don’t put your speaking script on the slides. Use minimal text, just enough to jog the audience’s memory or highlight keywords. Leave just some cues. People can’t read dense text and listen to you at the same time, so don’t make them choose.

For code or technical content on slides, make sure it’s readable. Use large fonts and high contrast colors. Many speakers have learned (sometimes the hard way) that tiny text is illegible beyond the first few rows. Never say “I know this code is hard to read”. Instead, format it so it is readable or summarize the code’s purpose verbally. Use highlighting or arrows on slides if you want to draw attention to part of a diagram or code snippet. If you have live demos, prepare them carefully (and have a backup plan in case the demo fails or the internet is down). It is nice to have a one-click reset for demos, like a script to restore your initial state, so if something goes wrong you can quickly recover. It’s also wise to have screenshots of your demo as a backup within your slides, just in case the demo gods misbehave.

Talk’s content is more important than flashy slides. Don’t spend 90% of your prep time making slides pretty at the expense of practicing your delivery. A simple deck with clear, uncluttered visuals is usually best. One more tip: if possible, test your slides on the actual equipment or at least a similar setup before the talk. Different projectors can make colors look washed out, and room size affects font visibility. I try to check my slides on a projector the day before or morning of the talk, to ensure people at the back can see them. If you spot an issue (e.g., a diagram is too small), you can adjust in time.

Practice, practice, practice. Once you have your talk structured and your slides ready, the most important preparation step is rehearsal. This is non-negotiable, especially for beginners. Even experienced speakers practice. It’s how to get comfortable with the material and discover any timing issues or tongue-twister phrases. Start by running through the talk by yourself. You can do it in front of a mirror or even record yourself with your phone. Yes, it feels awkward, but it works. Sometimes when I do the run-through alone, I find that some parts that seemed clear on paper actually came out confusing when spoken. Rehearsing and recording my speech gives a chance to fix this issues. Recording the speech also allows to time as well as possible to ensure that the talk fits in the allotted slot. Conferences typically give some time limits (say 30 minutes, or 45, etc., plus Q&A). It’s critical to respect that. Running overtime can disrupt the whole schedule and irritate organizers and audience alike. Aim to actually finish a bit under time in practice, to allow some room for unforeseen issues or shange of speaking speed because of stress. It’s better to end slightly early than to rush at the end or be forced to cut material on the fly.

After solo practice, if you can, do a practice talk for a friendly audience. This could be two or three colleagues, or your family, or a local meetup group. Invite them to be honest with feedback. In fact, you might assign one person to focus on your delivery (voice, body language) and another to focus on the content (were your points clear, did they understand the technical parts). If you have a mentor or friend who is an experienced speaker, ask them to watch your rehearsal. They might catch things you never considered. When I rehearsed my talk for a coworker, she pointed out that I was saying “um” a lot and pacing nervously. The things I wasn’t aware of. With that feedback, I consciously practiced pausing instead of filling every silence, and it made a big difference. Consider also joining a public speaking club or group to get regular practice in a supportive environment. The more you practice, the more your confidence will grow. It’s like training a muscle.

Prepare for the big day. As your talk date approaches, take care of a few final details. Make sure you have everything you need: your laptop (with appropriate display adapter if needed), a backup of your slides on a USB drive or cloud or in your mailbox, any demo files, and maybe a clicker/remote if you prefer one. Have a “talk day kit”. Mine includes a bottle of water, some throat lozenges (in case my throat gets dry), and a notecard with a few key points or the outline (just as a safety net if I blank out). Get a good night’s sleep before if possible. On the morning of the talk, give yourself time to arrive early at the venue. Rushing will only add to anxiety. I like to visit the room beforehand: I go up on stage when it’s empty, familiarize myself with the space, test the microphone, and click through a couple of slides to ensure they display properly. This little ritual makes the environment feel less alien when it’s showtime, so my body feels more at ease in the space. If the conference has a sound check or speaker ready room, definitely take advantage of it.

Finally, mentally prepare yourself. I have a routine where I find a quiet spot, do a few deep breaths (I prefer doing quadrant breathing excercise) and maybe a power-pose (standing confidently, hands on hips like a superhero) for a minute to boost my confidence. It might sound silly, but studies suggest power-poses can reduce stress hormones and help to feel more confident. I’ll also remind myself of one truth: I’m here to share something valuable, not to be perfect. Shifting focus to the message (“I’m helping the audience by teaching them X”) rather than my performance helps reducing stress. The audience wants to learn from you, not judge you harshly.

1. Breathing exercises & grounding techniques

Mesut Durukal: breathing exercise helps a lot

Vitaly Sharovatov: breathing exercises for the nerves, voice projection drills to build “presence”, simple “grounding techniques” to feel better

Vitaly Sharovatov: In my first three-four years of public speaking I was always rushing. Rushing to such a degree that I was losing my breath. I significantly improved the situation by practicing conscious slowing-down exercises, they were quite simple. For instance, I wrote myself 10 lines to practice with, and I forced myself to silently count to 5 before each next line. Or, for the same 10 lines, I had to walk two-three steps after each line.

Attila Fekete: Delivering a great talk is more of a mental challenge than a technical one. Beyond knowing your material, you need to be mentally prepared: learn how to manage stress, handle unexpected situations, and peak at the right time.

Dorothy Graham: What about nerves? As far as I know, everyone gets nervous about their talk. One phrase I saw somewhere: “It’s not that you don’t have butterflies, you get them to fly in unison.” Translate the nervousness into excitement to support you in your talk, and try to appear relaxed - this will also relax and reassure your audience (even if you are only pretending!).

2. Don’t focus on slides, focus on story

Rahul Verma: Slides aren’t the point; the conversation in the room is.

Michal Buczko: I try to focus on 3 things. First present something that You want to show as Your achievement, be proud of that. Second, present it in a way that the audience can try it out in their ecosystem, give them some action points and a place to start. Third, have fun presenting the subject. Sometimes good vibes and what You say gives the 80% vaule of the talk not the slides that fly behind You.

Kari Kakkonen: Balanced slides with enough content (for notes) but not too much (so people won’t read but listen to you).

Bas Dijkstra: The less text there is on your slides, the better - people either read the slide or listen to you, not both

Pablo Garcia Munos: When people ask me “What should I talk about” I always reply, what part of testing do you burn the most for right now, that is what you have to speak about.

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): Start with a brief intro to the topic, then leave a hook for the audience to look forward getting to the end of the talk expecting to solve the mystery or data tip you left, and in the end give it to the audience. Try to not to open too many story branches and then you won’t have gaps in it.

Dorothy Graham: Focus on the message to you want to get across. Like a sermon, 3 points is good, but not a rigid rule. What is it that you are really passionate about? What do you see that you think people could do better, based on what you have done? Do you have an interesting experience where you learned the hard way?

3. Plan for interaction

Mesut Durukal: Make it interactive. Ask small questions, encourage them to vote.

Jonas Hermansson: Think of it as entertainment with added value: knowledge.

Kari Kakkonen: Ask questions, ask for interaction during and after the talk.

Bas Dijkstra: I like to involve the crowd a little bit, maybe asking some questions to specific individuals, but maybe not everybody is comfortable doing that.

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): Speaking of the audience, involve them in your talk. Make them participate by polling, asking direct questions, picking a sparring partner from the audience who you could establish conversations from the stage and might make feel everyone else as if they are about to participate if you look at them. Well, do it if you want. Make it as interactive as you can, it is a show on stage and not just a boring lecture from a stage.

Emna Ayadi: Use examples, small stories, or funny moments to make it interesting

4. Admit what you don’t know

Benjamin Bischoff: Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something—it’s much better than stumbling through.

Mesut Durukal: Saying I don’t know shouldn’t be difficult.

5. Practice and get early feedback

Anupam Krishnamurthy: I always end up recording my presentations several times… I also gather feedback from other people (especially my wife).

Lisa Crispin: Pair up with a colleague to do sessions. Two heads are better than one! It helps a lot with nerves. I put in more effort because I don’t want to let my pair down. If I do screw up, my pair has my back. Together we make a better learning experience for our participants. In the past 12 years, I’ve paired with newbie speakers who are having trouble getting their proposals accepted at conferences. I usually get invited to conferences so I say, “Great, this person will be co-facilitating with me, will you comp her as well?” and they almost always say yes. If they say no, I don’t go. I let my pair pick the topic, which means I usually get to learn all about some area that I wasn’t too familiar with! And the newbies I paired with have gone on to much better speaking careers than my own.

Mesut Durukal: Feedback! I learnt a lot from the feedback I got after my talks or rehearsals. You don’t realize basic things that others do.

Rahul Verma: Some ideas won’t land, so I iterate. I design for imperfection.

Maaret Pyhäjärvi: Practice makes better: smaller audiences, but also forced audiences (university students) with topics you are most comfortable with.

Rikard Edgren: I memorize the first sentences, because if it is a good start, all will go well. I try to start with an ice breaker, quite often it is something that happened on the way to the conference (for instance when I could show my green and white socks I had to wear in Dublin when the luggage was lost). If the presentation goes really, really well, I remember almost nothing of what I actually said.

Kari Kakkonen: Memorize the main point in each slide, make the point, don’t read all the slide content, or verbalize it differently.

Marko Rytkonen: Know how to start, everything else will follow

Dorothy Graham: Rehearse often and time yourself. Especially rehearse the start, because that’s when you are most nervous, so it your first words need to come out smoothly. And make sure the end is good, as people remember the beginning and end more than the middle.

6. Practice timing & pacing

Vitaly Sharovatov: Practicing conscious slowing-down exercises… I forced myself to silently count to 5 before each next line.

Benjamin Bischoff: Successful talk delivery starts with thorough preparation, including practicing your pacing, timing, and especially your opening and closing sentences.

Rudolf Groetz: Be on time. It’s embarrassing for the speakers after you if you take longer.

Rikard Edgren: I write a rough script for all of my slides, but I don’t follow it (unless it is an online talk, then I do it word-by-word). But writing a script gives me one way of expressing the important points, and if I forget some of them, it doesn’t matter (there should be enough anyway). I also try to put some humour in there, and tend to remember those parts better.

Kari Kakkonen: Be on time, start, and finish.

Bas Dijkstra: Speak slowly, slower than you’re used to. Short pauses and silence can work very well.

Marko Rytkonen: Practice. Practice. Practice. Make sure you say everything in a time given, without hurry.

Marko Rytkonen: Be on time, not just with your body, but mentally (use 15 mins or so before to get into the mood to talk)

7. Enjoy yourself

Jonas Hermansson: When you’re having fun, the audience will too.

Michal Buczko: Enjoy the process, have fun with preparations, be happy and have pleasure being on stage.

Michal Buczko: Smile beats the fear… You are a live example of your story.

Rudolf Groetz: If I enjoy myself on stage, the audience usually does too

Attila Fekete: Slides and visuals are just as important. They should support your message, not overload it. Use graphics, examples, or illustrations that make your point clearer and keep the audience’s attention. A talk that’s both meaningful and enjoyable is always the one people remember.

Dorothy Graham: People like to be entertained, but you don’t have to be a comedian. Interesting anecdotes, or stories about unexpected bugs, can raise a smile and get your audience “on your side”.

8. Be honest & authentic (don’t sell)

Clara Ramos Gonzalez: Be honest, don’t try to sell, try to communicate.

Rudolf Groetz: The audience deserves authenticity, and that’s what builds trust and makes a talk memorable.

Rahul Verma: I don’t present to please. I present an idea, trusting that somewhere in the room my audience sits. Talk to the audience, not at a topic.

Rikard Edgren: Over time I found that my style was a mix of very abstract things and very concrete experiences. If it is a keynote I want something catchy and provoking. For a normal session, just my story can be enough.

Bas Dijkstra: I think the best talks speak from the heart and from experience. I’ve seen and delivered some dreadful talks that were basically regurgitating literature, platitudes and/or tutorials. If I want to get that kind of information, I’ll read an article or a tutorial.

Viviane Hennecke: I feel when you can free yourself from expectations to fit into a norm how a talk should be delivered, the chances are high to develop your own style. In my experience, humans want to see humans. That means imperfection is not only allowed, but welcomed. If you have something to share, it does not matter if you are a fullblown actress or actor. Just be yourself.

Dorothy Graham: Do share both the good and the bad, the successes and the failures. Often the best learning comes from the worst experiences. There can be a reluctance to share things that went wrong, but this is how everyone learns, and the lessons will probably be better remembered as they are more believable.

9. Overcome self-doubt (I don’t have anything to say”)

Benjamin Bischoff: Don’t let the thought ‘I don’t have anything to add’ hold you back.

Richard Bradshaw: When new, focus only on your experiences. They are yours. No one can tell you, your experiences are wrong!

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): First of all, I think you must have a big passion about a relevant topic to create a great talk, a topic that the audience might be interested in. Second you must have experience around the topic, even if it is not much, you must have some dirt in your hands from working a bit with it so you can present with more passion and improvise truthfully if needed.

10. Design for imperfection / accept failure

Rahul Verma: I start from the idea that this talk is going to fail… treat the submitted idea as a hypothesis and let it evolve.

Gennadii Chursov: For a talk to succeed, it’s not enough to prepare it well. You also need to set the right expectations, promote it to the right audience, and accept that you simply can’t please everyone.

Vitaly Sharovatov: I’ve been doing all kinds of sports my whole life, since I was 6. I know how often I think I will perform well at a competition, but then often I don’t :D So when going on stage, I tell myself that this the same — sometimes I will perform well, sometimes I won’t, and this is ok. It makes me less nervous :)

Viviane Hennecke: I feel when you can free yourself from expectations to fit into a norm how a talk should be delivered, the chances are high to develop your own style. In my experience, humans want to see humans. That means imperfection is not only allowed, but welcomed. If you have something to share, it does not matter if you are a fullblown actress or actor. Just be yourself.

Marko Rytkonen: Expectation management: Remember that everyone does not need to like your talk. If you want to please everyone, you may please noone.

11. Body language, voice, emotional connection

José Díaz: Your spoken words and body language are key. When you step on stage, the audience expects more than just information. They expect a story. A good speaker entertains, captivates, and takes people on a journey.

Vitaly Sharovatov: Voice projection drills to build presence.

Attila Fekete: Body language plays a huge role — your posture, how you move on stage, how you use your tone of voice, when you pause and summarize, and even the pace of your speech all shape the audience’s experience. Equally important is eye contact and interaction; the audience should feel engaged, not lulled to sleep.

Kari Kakkonen: Talk to the audience (90% time facing the crowd).

12. Imposter syndrome

Mesut Durukal: Beat your imposter syndrome. I know a good way for this: Embrace the idea that you are not claiming to teach people something they don’t know. You are going to share your story. Ok, now you are safe, no one can better know your story.

Vitaly Sharovatov: We humans are social creatures, and standing in front of a room full of eyes locked on us taps into some very old instincts. We value social approval, and consciously or not, we’re asking ourselves: is my content good enough, or is it just banal? Most people outgrow this fear with experience and gradually become more natural on stage.

13. Don’t rush

Rikard Edgren: It takes months for me to create a great talk; several iterations with the necessary rest for sub-conscious reflection.

Attila Fekete: It all starts with an idea — something worth sharing. Once you have that, the real work begins. Crafting a great talk is usually a longer, iterative process. Personally, I keep improving my talks even after I’ve delivered them, so each time the audience hears a more refined version.

Kari Kakkonen: Start early enough to have time for a good second look.

Gennadii Chursov: I could hear myself through the mic, it felt unusual, so I intentionally slowed down my delivery. When I later rewatched the recording, the pace turned out to be just right: the audience had enough time to process the information, laugh, and glance at the slides.

Vitaly Sharovatov: When I listen to a talk of mine done on a “slower” speed, I find it better!

Marko Rytkonen: Talking is not just talking, remember “dramatic pauses”. Give people time to think and process what you have said

With preparation done, you’ve already won half the battle. At this point, you know your material and have set yourself up for success. Still, the moment of stepping on stage can be nerve-wracking. In the next part, we’ll talk about delivering your presentation. How to handle those nerves and make your time on stage as smooth as possible.

How to deliver a good presentation

The big day has arrived. You’ve prepared a solid presentation and practiced it well. Now comes the part that most first-time speakers find the scariest: actually delivering the talk in front of a live audience. In this section, we’ll cover techniques to help doing presentation with confidence and clarity. This includes managing stage fright, engaging with your audience during the talk, handling any hiccups that arise, and navigating the Q&A session if there is one. Even the best-prepared talk can fall flat if delivered poorly, so it’s worth focusing on these delivery skills. The good news is, you don’t need to be an entertainer, a clown or have a golden voice. Being clear, authentic, empathetic to audience’s needs goes a long way.

Dealing with nerves: First, let’s address the elephant in the room – stage fright. If your heart is pounding and your palms are sweaty as you’re about to go on, know that this is completely normal. I still get nervous before every talk, just as many experienced speakers do. The adrenaline can even be helpful, giving you energy and alertness. The goal isn’t to eliminate nerves (remember Twain’s quote about “nervous or lying” ?), but to prevent them from derailing you. One thing that helps is a simple breathing exercise: inhale deeply for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 6-8 seconds (square breathing). Do a few rounds of that backstage or even on stage while someone introduces you. It calms the racing heart. Another trick is smiling as you begin. It sounds odd, but forcing a smile releases tension and makes you appear confident. I often start with a smile and a “Hello everyone, thank you for being here”, which also warms up my voice.

When you get on stage, take a moment to get comfortable. Adjust the microphone, take a breath, and make eye contact with a friendly face in the audience. In a small room, you can quickly greet the audience with a show of hands (“How many of you are using coding assistants?”) to create engagement. In a larger room, just find a few faces that seem attentive and imagine you’re speaking to them. This makes it feel like a conversation and can calm the nerves. As you start speaking and get into your material, the nerves usually ease within the first couple of minutes. I find that once I’m past my introduction and telling my first story or point, I almost forget about being nervous. I get caught up in explaining the content.

Speaking clearly and with presence: During the talk, focus on clarity. Speak a bit slower than you do in casual conversation, and project your voice. In a large room, use the microphone to your advantage. Keep it an appropriate distance from your mouth (test this beforehand). Articulate your words, but don’t worry about a brief stumble or mispronunciation; just keep going. If you realize you’re talking too fast (a common side effect of nervousness), consciously pause and take a breath. Pausing is powerful. It gives the audience time to absorb information and makes speaker sound more confident. And if you lose your train of thought, a pause with a sip of water can buy you a moment to regain it. Dry mouth is another lovely side effect of adrenaline, and a quick sip can prevent coughing and also serve as a deliberate pause.

Try to use natural body language. This means: stand up straight, don’t lock your knees, and use your hands to gesture if it helps you explain (but avoid repetitive moves). Some movement is good. Walking a few steps across the stage can keep energy up, but don’t pace nervously or rock back and forth. Move with purpose, perhaps to transition between points or to point at the screen if needed. When you stand still, plant your feet firmly to appear grounded. If you have a podium, you can stand behind it, but be careful not to hide or slouch. If you want the audience to focus on a slide, stop and look at it yourself; when you want them back on you, step forward or make a gesture or a move. Above all, try to appear engaged and enthusiastic. Let your voice show a bit of excitement when appropriate, and smile or show emotion when telling a story. Enthusiasm is infectious. If you seem like you care about the topic, the audience is more likely to care too.

Handling the unexpected: No matter how much you practice, real life can throw curveballs. Maybe the projector fails, or a demo crashes, or you blank out on what’s next. It happens to everyone at some point. The key is to stay calm and not panic or apologize excessively. If a slide freezes or something technical goes wrong, you can ask the audience for a brief moment, or even lighten the mood: “Looks like the demo gremlins are at it again”. Audiences are very forgiving of technical issues as long as you communicate. This is where your backup preparation helps (you brought those screenshots, right?). If you completely forget what comes next, it’s okay to take a quick glance at your notes or the slide on the screen to remind you. You can also ask the audience a question related to your last point. This gives a few seconds to gather thoughts while someone answers. Importantly, keep perspective: you’re not performing brain surgery up there. If you mess up a bit, it’s not the end of the world. In other words, don’t take yourself too seriously on stage. A touch of humor at your own mistakes can engage the audience.

I recall a time I skipped a couple of slides by accident. Instead of panicking, I joked “Oops, I guess even my slides want to jump to the next point!” got a small laugh, and I simply backtracked. These moments make us human. What matters is recovering and continuing. If you find yourself really off track, take a breath and summarize where you were: “So, as I was saying about X, the main point is Y, and now I’ll move on to Z”. The audience often won’t even realize something went wrong if you don’t emphasize it too much. Nerves may spike if something unexpected happens, but rely on the fact that you know your material (you practiced, after all). Trust yourself and keep going.

Engaging the audience: A great presentation feels like a conversation, not a monologue. Even if the format doesn’t allow the audience to speak up during the talk, you can still engage them. Simple techniques include asking rhetorical questions (“We all hate flaky tests, right?”), or a quick show of hands (“Raise your hand if you’ve had a deployment go wrong”). These tricks get people mentally involved and can re-capture attention if it’s drifting. Another method is to incorporate a very short story or example that people can relate to. For instance, I often share a one-minute anecdote like, “I remember a night when our release was delayed by a single missing semicolon…” – it gets a smile or at least empathy from fellow engineers. Relatable examples make your points more memorable.

Make sure to maintain eye contact. If direct eye contact is too nerve-wracking, you can look at foreheads or just above heads. It appears like eye contact from the audience’s perspective. Try not to speak to the screen (common when speakers keep turning to look at their slides). Glance briefly if you need to, but then face the audience again to talk. Vary your voice tone and volume a bit to avoid monotony. For example, lower your voice to a whisper when sharing a “secret” insight, or raise it to convey excitement at a breakthrough. These little variations keep people’s attention. It can also be effective to pause intentionally before an important point. It creates a sense that something important is coming, so listeners make attention.

Handling Q&A: If your talk includes a Q&A segment at the end (common at conferences), it helps to prepare mentally for it. The Q&A can be the most unpredictable part. First, when you finish your presentation, repeat the question each time someone asks one (especially if there are no audience mics). This ensures everyone in the room hears it and gives you an extra second to formulate your answer. When answering, if you know the answer, great – keep it concise and to the point. If you don’t know or the question stumps you, it’s perfectly fine to admit that. You can say, “That’s a great question. I’m not sure offhand, but I’d love to dig into it and get back to you”. Or throw the question back: “Has anyone in the audience encountered that scenario?”. Often, someone else might have insight, turning it into a discussion. It’s okay not to know everything. As one discussion noted, if you really don’t know an answer, it’s absolutely acceptable to say so. It doesn’t make you a bad speaker. Honesty builds trust.

Sometimes you might get a long or off-topic question. In that case, politely interject if needed and suggest discussing it afterward (“I think that’s a bit beyond today’s scope, but I’d be happy to chat with you after the session”). This keeps the Q&A on track. If someone is aggressively challenging, stay calm and respond politely. It’s rare, but it can happen. Remember, you are the authority during your talk, because you’re the one who prepared and spoke on the subject. So even if answering questions feels like you’re on the spot, realize that you’ve earned the audience’s respect by being up there. Take questions as a sign that people were listening and interested.

After the last question, thank the audience again for their time. It’s good to end on a note of gratitude or a final encouragement related to your topic (“I hope you’ll go back and try these testing ideas with your teams”) or a call to action (“Now it’s your turn to make our apps more secure”). Once the talk is officially done, take a breath. You did it! If people come up to you to chat, try to be available and engage with them; this is where networking and deeper discussions happen. I often learn a ton from those one-on-one questions and comments after a talk.

1. Decide on the core message upfront

Jonas Hermansson: Start by deciding what message you want to convey.

Marko Rytkonen: Learnings does not need to be revolutionary, small things are important (and easier to implement).

Marko Rytkonen: Create credible story line

Pablo Garcia Munos: For me a Great Talk is when someone has dug deep in a part of testing that they consider important and want all others to know what they found out. Those talks are the best.

2. Hero’s journey / villain archetype

Rudolf Groetz: My talks always follow a kind of hero’s journey… there’s a villain … and the hero learns and overcomes.

3. Hook → Situation → Complication → Solution (SCS)

Rudolf Groetz: Start with a hook—something surprising, funny, or thought-provoking.

Anupam Krishnamurthy: I try and get my audience to pay attention with a hook… situation, complication, solution.

4. Problem-solution framing

Mesut Durukal: Almost always, it is a problem-solution pattern.

Attila Fekete: Beyond the technical content, you need to think about how you’ll explain it in an engaging way. Maybe you use a parallel, a story, or a theme to make it more relatable. Then comes the structure: carefully building the journey from the problem statement to the solution so the audience can follow along with you.

Bas Dijkstra: A great talk, to me, tells the story of what you have done, what the results were and what you learned in the process. The more failures the better, that’s where we all learn.

Marko Rytkonen: You need to have some problem you have solved. Something interesting or even unique you have seen happening.

5. Adapt language to the audience

Benjamin Bischoff: Be inclusive in your language and adapt your presentation style to your audience.

Kari Kakkonen: Basics to align participants, but also going deep on the key topic.

Kari Kakkonen: Talk in general, understandable terms, and explain yourself if needed.

Marko Rytkonen: Know your audience, talk for them (e.g. talking for leadership is different to testers/developers).

Emna Ayadi: Know your audience and make it simple for beginners

### 6. Keep the rythm Attila Fekete: A strong talk has a clear rhythm: a powerful start, a solid middle, and a memorable finish. Remember, people often judge a presentation less by its content and more by how it made them feel. They want something relatable, something that sticks. Your job is to capture their attention — and keep it until the very last word.

Anupam Krishnamurthy: I try and get my audience to pay attention with a hook… situation, complication, solution.

### 7. Ways to present Kari Kakkonen: Use multiple ways of presenting (add a flipchart, video, music, poll, discussion with audience).

Bas Dijkstra: With me, it’s typically ‘if you give me 10 minutes, I’ll talk for 10 minutes, if you give me 2 hours, I’ll talk for 2 hours’. Most of the talk I come up with on the spot, including the bad jokes. Of course I do some preparation, mostly with the slides, but as anyone who has seen my slide deck can tell you, I don’t spend a lot of time on them :)

Marko Rytkonen: Use humor, if possible and fits to your personality/style

Richard Bradshaw: Don’t introduce yourself at the start, they’ve read that in the program, get straight into and at the end say if you want to hear more from me, hear are my socials etc.

Richard Bradshaw: Every presentation is a learning experience. No matter how it went, reflect on what you did well and what you could improve next time. I often collect down a couple of notes after a talk (“went too fast on slide X” or “live demo took longer than expected”). This helps me adjust for future talks. Speaking is a continuous journey. Even veterans seek to get better each time.

Leandro Melendez (aka Señor Performo): Avoid stillness like the pest. Either in your body, your voice volume and your tone. Move around a lot in the stage (when possible). Raise your voice, make it low volume, high pitched, low pitched, mix it all in a single sentence. I would say almost sing the talk to the audience.

Dorothy Graham: Slides or no slides? A short talk may be better without slides. With no slides, you may have a more direct connection with your audience, since there‘s only you to look at, though you may need something to help you remember what you are planning to say, e.g. index cards. However, there is nothing for your listeners to review or look back on other than a full recording or their own (or others’) notes. Prune the slides. Even a really great slide, if not related to the main story or in the flow of the main message, should be deleted! (It took me a while to realise this!)

Delivering a presentation is as much about mindset as it is about technique. If you believe in your message and care about helping the audience understand it, that intent will shine through. Don’t aim for a “perfect” talk; aim for a useful and authentic one. In most cases, people won’t remember minor stumbles, but they will remember your attitude and the value they got from your talk. After it’s over, congratulate yourself. You did something that most people find daunting.

## Final Thoughts

Looking back on my public speaking journey, I’m struck by how much I have grown from it. What started as a single meetup presentation turned into a series of talks at larger conferences, panels and even keynotes. Along the way I went from dreading the stage to genuinely enjoying the opportunity to share and connect. Don’t get me wrong. I still get butterflies before a talk, and I still have much to learn. But the fact that I can now stand in front of hundreds of people and tell a story about technology (and actually have fun doing it) is something my younger self would have never believed.

If you take one thing from this guide, I hope it’s the confidence that you have something valuable to say and that you can say it in a public forum. Tech industry needs exchange of ideas. We need voices from all backgrounds: developers, testers, managers, newbies, veterans - people of all genders and cultures sharing their unique experiences.

It’s okay to start small. You don’t have to aim for a major conference right away. Perhaps begin with an internal presentation at your company or a casual talk at a local meetup. These smaller settings are fantastic for trying out your material and getting comfortable. In fact, practicing at meetups or in front of teammates is how I built up to conference speaking. Celebrate those small wins. Each one will make you more ready for a bigger stage.

Also, don’t hesitate to seek out mentors or allies. In my case, I had colleagues and friends who give me feedback and cheer me on. There are also speaker mentorship programs (some conferences have them for first-time speakers) and communities where you can find support. Many experienced speakers are happy to help newcomers with proposals and practice sessions. You’re not alone in this.

One of the wonderful things I discovered is that the act of presenting often gives back more than you put in. I’ve learned new ideas from audience questions, received feedback that improved my own work, gained broader perspective from discussions after my talks. Speaking has made me a better listener and teacher. It’s even improved my regular work communications. If you can explain something clearly on stage, you’ll be better at explaining things in meetings or emails too. In short, the benefits echo into many areas of professional and personal life.

Now, you might still have some doubts or fears. You might think, “What if I fail? What if people think I’m not expert enough?”. These thoughts are natural. Doing it, even if it’s not perfect – is infinitely better than not trying at all. Every speaker you admire started somewhere, probably with an awkward or average talk. They improved by doing it again. And if you give a talk that doesn’t go as well as you hoped, it’s not a failure. It’s a draft for your next, better talk.

To conclude, I want to encourage you to take that leap. If an opportunity arises to speak – be it a short talk at a meetup or a conference presentation – say yes. Or better yet, create an opportunity: propose a topic to an event or start a knowledge-sharing session at work. It will be nerve-wracking the first time, no doubt. But it will also be empowering. You’ll likely come off the stage thinking, “Wow, I actually did it!” and that feeling is awesome.

I hope the insights and tips I’ve shared in this book help demystify the process of public speaking in tech. It’s not reserved for geniuses or extroverts. It’s for anyone with a passion to share and a willingness to learn. Your talks don’t have to be grand or groundbreaking. Some of the most impactful talks are simple stories of a problem and a solution, told honestly. As long as you speak with sincerity and keep the audience in mind, you will do well.

Thank you for reading through and allowing me to share my story. Now it’s your turn to write the next chapter of your story. What message do you have for the world of tech? What experience could you share that might help others? I’m certain there is something. I encourage you to step up and let your voice be heard. Who knows – maybe someday I’ll be in the audience at a conference, listening to your talk and nodding along.

Happy speaking, and see you on stage!

Resources

Discussion on GitHub where you can find original answers, ask your questions and connect with the author and collaborators: https://github.com/BeyondQuality/beyondquality/discussions/11

[1] https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/public-speaking-statistics

[2] https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.08239

[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3410

[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X13000209

[5] The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential

Articles

https://www.lisihocke.com/p/speaking-at-conferences.html

https://www.softwaretester.blog/how-to-speak-at-conferences-the-procrastinators-approach

https://nicolalindgren.com/speaking-at-a-conference-a-practical-guide-for-first-time-presenters/

https://nicolalindgren.com/11-public-speaking-tips-that-you-might-not-know/

Books

Sharon Bowman’s book Training from the Back of the Room

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)

Advanced Presentations by Design: Creating Communication that Drives Action

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sOgYNgq88E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unzc731iCUY

https://www.ted.com/playlists/324/the_official_ted_talk_guide_pl