On Speaking At Conferences

On Speaking At Conferences

The hardest part of speaking in public, for me, is being in public.

I have found that speaking at conferences is something I can do because of my love for teaching and my passion for the topics I discuss.

See a list of my previous conference here.

I often speak about APIs in front of large groups of people as part of my job, and I can do this because I am confident in my knowledge and experience on the subject.

To prepare for these talks, I spend a lot of time getting everything ready, including completing and deploying any demos beforehand. While I may not enjoy being in the spotlight, I am confident in my ability to deliver engaging and informative talks, and I am happy to share my knowledge with others.

These are things that help me on stage;

  • I have done my research.

  • I know what I am talking about. I am at home here.

  • I don't look anyone in the eyes during the presentation.

  • I only speak from my skills, knowledge, and experience.

  • My talks involve code demonstrations. This would have been completed and deployed before the session. This way, if I get nervous or forget what to say, I can refer to the code to jog my memory.

  • If I forget what to say ( or the demo stops working ), we will convert the session to Q&A.

  • I prefer walking around the room and engaging the audience during Q&A.

I am good for the conference. I am not good for the after-party.