Public Speaking for Technologists
A presentation at HackConf.bg in in Sofia, Bulgaria by Daniel "phrawzty" Maher
Public Speaking for Technologists
Daniel “phrawzty” Maher Developer Advocate Datadog
Table of Contents
- Identify
- CFP
- Prepare
- Deliver
- After-care
@phrawzty // Datadog
Identify
Factors to consider
Business
- Themes
- Industry and market
- Influence Audience composition
You
- Topics / subjects
- Format
- Other presentations
- Networking
Logistics
- Help with expenses
- Production value
- Location Support
@phrawzty // Datadog
Where to look
In specific
- PaperCall.io
- Meetup.com
- Confs.tech
- Devopsdays.org
In general
- O’Reilly, SkillsMatter, etc…
- Tech sites, lists, and Slacks
- Word of mouth
- Google for “open tech CFPs”
@phrawzty // Datadog
CFP
You always need these
- Title
- Pitch
- Description
- Notes
- Headshot
- Bio
- Previous presentations
- Assistance required?
- Demographic data
@phrawzty // Datadog
Tips for CFP
- Be bold, but don’t be a jerk about it.
- Be terse. Don’t get bogged down in the details.
- Believe in your words.
- Pay attention to the guidelines!
- No, seriously, pay attention—especially to character or word count.
- Be early, but don’t be first.
- Don’t wait until the last minute (it might already be too late).
@phrawzty // Datadog
Prepare
Two basic elements
Say it
- The story you want to tell.
- What you are going to say.
- How you are going to say it.
Display it
- The visual support for your story.
- Slides, pictures, video, etc.
- Terminals! Live coding!
@phrawzty // Datadog
Slides are a trap.
– You are the most important element of the talk. – Your presentation should be functional without slides. – (Live demos excepted.)
@phrawzty // Datadog
Practice makes perfect
By yourself
- First, just say things out loud to see how they sound.
- Then, put on a timer and click through your slides.
- Modify as necessary.
With others
- Dry-run the first. It’s ok to be nervous. Accept the feedback and improve.
- Dry-run the second. Already a huge improvement!
@phrawzty // Datadog
Deliver
It’s your big day!
- Arrive early. Explore the venue and sort yourself out.
- Talk to the organisers to see if they have last-minute info.
- Find somewhere quiet to review.
- Sound / tech-check on stage.
- Close all apps you don’t need. Mute notifications, too.
- Silence your phone.
@phrawzty // Datadog
Do the thing!
- Being nervous is normal.
- Confidence is the best cure. (Practice was how you gained confidence.)
- Be passionate! You got this!
- Slow down and breathe.
- Find a comfortable standing position. Forget about your pockets.
- Take sips of water.
@phrawzty // Datadog
After-care
Oops it’s not over yet
Q&A
- It’s OK to ask for a question to be repeated or expanded upon.
- It’s OK if you don’t know the answer. Really. Take it off-line.
- If they go low, you go high.
Hallway track
- It’s usually the best part of a conference, but it can also be the worst for reasons well outside of your control.
- That said, embrace it! Have fun!
@phrawzty // Datadog
A little while later…
Reflect
- If the talk was recorded, watch the recording.
- If feedback was collected, read the feedback.
- Improve your presentation!
Publish
- Blog post; tutorial; workshop.
- A spin-off talk.
- Podcast? Sure! Why not write a book about it? The sky’s the limit!
@phrawzty // Datadog
Thank you
Datadog
Interested in speaking at a conference but don’t know where to start? Your talk has been accepted but you’re nervous about being on stage? Don’t worry—I’ll get you sorted. In this workshop, we’ll work through things like idea generation, the CFP process, slide style, stage presence, and more!
