How to become a
public speaker
(have fun, get famous, and get paid)
#getfamous
@alexqin
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How I did it
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• the JavaScript programming language
• Web Accessibility
• The importance of fostering diverse and inclusive spaces in tech
@alexqin
#getfamous @alexqin
Topics I’ve spoken about
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step 1: why?
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• It seemed really challenging
• I wanted to deepen my expertise
• I wanted to be “bad ass”
• I needed to do it for my green card application
• I want to make tech a more inclusive place
• I want to inspire people to challenge the status quo
#getfamous @alexqin
Why public speaking?
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step 1: why?
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• Learn new skills
• Deepen your expertise
• Make money
• Travel the country and the world
• Make friends
• Get famous
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Why should you do it?
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step 2: what to talk about?
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• Technologies
• Projects
• Process
• Culture
• Innovation
• Learnings
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What can I talk about?
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• List 5+ things I’ve done in the past year of which I’m proud
• List 5+ things I’m an expert at
• List 5+ things I want to learn more about
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Generate a list of topics
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step 3: write a proposal
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• Title
• Talk abstract
• Key takeaways
• Speaker Bio
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Write a proposal
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#getfamous @alexqin
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• Unique perspective
• Surprising combination / twist
• Urgent / Important / Highly applicable or scalable
• Bleeding Edge
• Comedy gold
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Write an interesting proposal
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step 4: where to speak?
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• Meetups
• Seriously, meetup.com
• Educational programs
• Conferences
• papercall.io
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Where to speak?
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step 5: apply!
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• Put in the time
• Understand the audience
• Don’t get discouraged
• “Network”
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Apply to give a talk
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step 6: give your first talk
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Give your first talk
• Practice makes perfect
• Draw inspiration from speakers / talks you like
• Words > slides
• Form is as important as content
• Time yourself
• Get feedback and get better!
#getfamous @alexqin
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• #conferences
• Catt Small, How to Become a Public Speaker in 1 year
• Technically Speaking
• Lara Hogan, Demystifying Public Speaking
• The Weekly CFP
#getfamous @alexqin
Resources