Ask HN: What makes a great tech talk? I'm giving my first big tech talk at a conference in just a few weeks (at EmberConf). I'm confident in the topic and substance of the talk, but I'm less sure about everything else. Will I lose people if I start off too basic? Or is it worse to dive into the more technical stuff without laying the foundation first? How much should I talk about myself, if at all? What are the hallmarks of an excellent, memorable talk? |
How to Give a Great Research Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT_-owjKIbA
About talking about yourself - I really like when people show a slide about themselves and talk briefly, for maybe 10-20 seconds, about what they've been involved in previously. So you can hear where they're coming from, and where their expertise lies. Especially if not many people there are likely to know anything about them.
I'd recommend checking out https://femgineer.com/present-book/ and the corresponding youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Femgineers
Her lessons on using storytelling in your talk to explain and reinforce the high-level value might be helpful for you as you structure your talk.
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_insp...
Giving a talk is easy, giving an _excellent_ talk is difficult.