Desy Kristianti
A visionary who loves learning from others and making real impact in other people’s lives.
How to Give a Compelling Technical Talk
Desy Kristianti @dessskris
About me
Desy Kristianti
Technology Consultant at Deloitte
City Leader at Women Who Code Belfast
Founder at The SPUDS Belfast
@dessskris
My public speaking experience
- Women Techmakers Summit Belfast (Apr 2018)
- Northern Ireland Developer Conference (Jun 2018)
- JAX London Conference (Oct 2018)
- DevOpsDays Galway (Nov 2018)
- Women Techmakers Summit Belfast (Mar 2019 - NOW!)
- Codemotion Amsterdam (Apr 2019)
Image: © Copyright S&S Media
@dessskris
Why should I do it?
- Everyone knows something that a lot of other people don't know
- You have a unique & valuable story to tell
- Representation matters
@dessskris
Why do I need to deliver a good technical talk?
- Conferences can be draining
- Attending a conference can be costly
- Make it easier for people to gain value!
@dessskris
Photo by Brittany Gaiser on Unsplash
Common pitfalls
- Not well structured
- No relevant context
- Too high level
- Too specific or detailed
- Ineffective live demo
- Poorly delivered
@dessskris
Photo by Fleur Treurniet on Unsplash
Can I avoid them?
- Find the right balance
- Deliver technical content in a user-friendly way
- Be engaging and interesting
@dessskris
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
Why should I give a talk?
- Share your knowledge or passion
- Raise awareness about things you hate
- Learn more about something
Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash
@dessskris
How do I design my talk?
- Who are your audience?
- What are they interested in?
Photo by Antenna on Unsplash
@dessskris
How do I design my talk?
- What's the story you want to tell?
- Why does this matter to your audience?
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
@dessskris
How can I fill the time limit? /
How can I fit so much content?
- 30 min, 45 min, or 1 hour may sound like a lot... But when you are on stage,
it will fly by - Always leave time for Q&A! (Recommended)
@dessskris
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
How can I find a balance
with my time limit?
- Too little content?
- Add audience interaction
- Give a live demo
- Too much content?
- Decide which slides to skip
- Tell the audience you are free to chat afterwards
@dessskris
Photo by 90 Jiang on Unsplash
How can I not lose the audience?
- Outline key outcomes
- Define key terminologies
- Don't assume!
- Clear & logical structure
@dessskris
Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
How can I not bore the audience?
- Ask yes/no questions
- Interactive poll
e.g. mentimeter - Less text-heavy slides
- More diagrams or illustrations
@dessskris
Photo by Callum Wale on Unsplash
Should I do a live demo?
- What value does this add to your talk?
- What do you want to showcase?
Photo by Clément H on Unsplash
@dessskris
How do I present a live demo?
- Interesting & relatable scenario
- Scrap your quirky IDE for an easy-to-read one
- Bigger font
- Don't go too fast
Photo by Dlanor S on Unsplash
@dessskris
First impression matters...
"You only have seven seconds to make a first impression" - Carol Goman
- It starts as soon as you enter the stage
- Be confident when you walk in
- Make a conscious effort to smile
Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash
@dessskris
When on stage...
- Take pauses
- Make eye contact
- Slow and steady pace
@dessskris
Photo by James Toose on Unsplash
...Last impression is what people remember
- Summarise key conclusions
- Be approachable
- Smile and thank your audience
@dessskris
Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash
Conclusion
- You too should be a tech speaker
- Audience is key
- Tell a story
- First & last impressions count
@dessskris
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Thank you!
Desy Kristianti
https://slides.com/dessskris/compelling-technical-talk/
https://www.meetup.com/The-SPUDS-Belfast/
dessskris@gmail.com
Desy Kristianti
@dessskris
Copy of How to Give a Compelling Technical Talk
By Desy Kristianti
Copy of How to Give a Compelling Technical Talk
Knowing how to code is one thing, but showing someone else how to do it is another. Ever feel like you want to share your knowledge, but don’t know how to communicate it efficiently? Or want to challenge yourself to speak in front of an audience, but don’t feel confident enough? Come along to learn how to give a compelling technical talk, or see me try explaining it all in 5 minutes. This technique is suitable for everyone regardless of who you are and what level of experience you have, and focuses on conference talks but can also be applied at meetings or presentations.
