Public Speaking at Tech Events 101: How to Start Your Speaker Journey
Source: Dev.to
How to get started
I got started with speaking just after COVID because I was super active on Twitter, and got invited to talk at WeAreDevelopers Congress, which has about 15,000 attendees each year. It was an awesome experience, but I wouldn’t recommend doing your first tech talk in a country where you don’t speak the native language, especially in a packed room of 500 people.
Instead, start small. Practice in a more relaxed setting, like local meetups. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there’s probably a group near you. Attend a few events, watch how speakers handle their flow, gestures, and tone.
More importantly, get to know the organizers. Ask them what inspired them to start the group, and when you feel comfortable, mention that you’d love to speak too. Since many meetups host events 6–12 times a year, chances are they’ll welcome you with open arms. Don’t stress about having the perfect session; everyone starts somewhere. Even if your first talk isn’t flawless, most people won’t remember the rough spots for long.
To find local meetups, head over to meetup.com, look up the biggest city near you, and filter by category “Technology” with event type set to “In person.”
Creating your first session
If the meetup organizers said yes to you speaking, or you found another event for your debut talk—congratulations! Most events will need three things from you:
- A talk abstract
- A speaker bio
- A picture of yourself
Brainstorm
Start by brainstorming topics you’re passionate about:
- Your favorite tech stack
- New features in a language you love
- Interesting discoveries from an open‑source project
- Processes that could be improved for developers
Make a short list. Even “beginner‑level” topics often fill rooms quickly.
Talk abstract
An abstract explains what you’ll cover and helps organizers decide if your session fits their schedule. A useful structure:
First paragraph: Grab attention with a question or bold statement.
Second paragraph: Briefly introduce the technology or topic.
Third paragraph: Explain what the audience will learn (e.g., live coding, demos).
Final paragraph: End with a call to action.
Example abstract (rubber‑duck debugging):
Do you ever get stuck on a bug and wonder if a simple chat could solve it? Imagine if your trusty rubber duck could help you solve those coding challenges.
In this session we dive into rubber‑duck debugging, a silly yet super‑effective way to troubleshoot code. I’ll share how talking through problems with a rubber duck can reveal hidden issues and spark fresh insights.
You’ll see live demos, real‑world examples, and learn how this simple method can save you time and frustration. Join me, grab a rubber duck, and turn this fun technique into your solution for cleaner, more efficient code.
Tip: Use AI only for inspiration and grammar checks. Submitting a fully AI‑generated abstract will likely be rejected.
Talk title
After the abstract, craft an attention‑grabbing title. A common format is:
[Core Idea]: [Short Phrase Explaining the Session]Examples
- Modern C#: A Dive into the Community’s Most Loved New Features
- Azure Functions: From Zero to Hero
- Minimal APIs vs. Controller‑Based APIs: Finding the Best Fit for Your .NET Projects
For the rubber‑duck example: Let’s Go Rubber Ducking: How a Little Duck Can Help You Solve Coding Challenges.
Use a title‑case converter (e.g., titlecaseconverter.com) to give it a professional look.
Speaker bio
The speaker bio introduces you to the audience. Keep it short, informative, and written in third person.
Suggested format
[First name] [Last name] is a [career title] with a passion for [technology/area]. While working in tech, they enjoyed [notable project or achievement].
Beyond their role, they love sharing knowledge about [topics] and are active in [community involvement, volunteer work, awards, content creation, etc.].
Feel free to add hobbies, conference involvement, or other relevant details that showcase your personality and expertise.