Summary In this episode, the panel has a fun time as they discuss what makes a good talk and how to get started as a speaker. The panel lists attributes they love in a talk that makes them want to jump onto their computers and code: having an easy call to action with resources, start the talk with why the audience should listen and what they stand to gain from the talk, and authentic humor are only a few. Amazing example talks and speakers are given as resources to study these attributes. The panel also discusses cringe-worthy mistakes made by speakers that can kill an interesting talk: too many words on your slides or reading from your slides, rambling personal anecdotes, tangents, and jokes, or being overly professional and talking down to your audience and many more. Advice is given on how to correct these problems The panel discusses how to get started speaking at conferences and gives advice for submitting conference proposals (CFP). The benefits of starting small by speaking at local meetups are considered. Local meetup organizers are always looking for willing speakers and by giving talks here first speakers can receive friendly and honest feedback. Chris Fritz gives instructions on how to get useful feedback instead of polite compliments from the audience. The panel gives advice on writing talks, most importantly to have an objective for your talk. Ben Hong explains why it is important to submit more than one CFP and more than one type of talk. The panel discusses the different types of talks and reminds listeners not to undervalue case studies because each experience is unique and valuable. Chris and Ben share what organizers look for in CFP’s and why they may be rejected. The panel ends the discussion with an explanation of speaker accommodation packages and how to ask for them. Links
