Welcome!

This is a collection of resources, by myself and others, that are focused on improving technical speaking skills.

Components of delivering a technical talk

Becoming a strong technical presenter involves a few discrete skills: public speaking, being able to break down complicated technical concepts, visual design, writing, and more!

This can seem overwhelming. But recognizing this fact is the key to creating an achievable set of goals. You can work on these skills separately, and you will be able to feel real improvement if you focus on small surface areas to work on, in small increments.

This project is very much a work in progress. Feedback is welcome - either open an issue here, or email me at [email protected].

Focal areas are grouped under themes, and headers are somewhat linear -- but this is intended to be more of an encyclopedia than a how-to manual.

What should I speak about?

1. Ideation & Brainstorming
2. Finding your niche
3. Finding your perspective
4. Beginner-friendly talk formats
5. There's always room for the "Intro to..." talk

How should I pitch my talk?

1. Writing the talk proposal
2. Speaker biography
3. "Notes for Reviewers"
4. Coping with rejection

How do I create the presentation?

1. Organising your thoughts
2. Research
3. Designing slides
4. Accessibility
5. Speaker notes
6. Soliciting feedback
7. Pacing

How do I practice my presentation?

1. Deliberate practice
2. Presenting to your dog/cat/Pikachu
3. Presenting to a camera
4. Creating safe feedback environments
5. Selectively taking feedback on board
6. Making the most of dry runs

How do I prepare for the big day?

1. Hardware setup tips
2. Communicating with organisers
3. Physical comfort
4. Strategic "Yes"-people
5. Recovery & Self-care

Promote your talk afterward

1. Leveraging your content for other events
2. Social media
3. Build a speaker portfolio

Miscellaneous

1. Building relationships with local conference organisers
2. Lending your privilege
3. Honorariums & stipends
4. Pairing on talks