Rock the Tech Stage : How the Best Speakers in Tech Present Ideas and Pitch Products

This book unveils ten secrets on how to masterfully speak in the technology arena. It is primarily based on stories from entrepreneurs, executives and engineers from technology companies that have shaped history: Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Jim Grubb (Cisco), Mikko Hyppönen (F-secure), Jane Chen (Embrace Innovations) and many more. Most of them have appeared on the stages of large conferences and events presenting their products and inventions. Today the technology arena is more dynamic and innovating than ever: mobile applications, cloud services, artificial intelligence, clean technologies, blockchain, etc.There are increasingly more spaces to share knowledge and promote products. Both aspects make speaking about technology harder than ever: how should you speak about your product or company in a way that your audience not only gets what you say but gets inspired enough to become followers? The ten practices presented in this book are: story, demo, metaphor, data visualization, passion, props, presentation hacks, interaction, staging, and memory. All core aspects that a technical person needs to rock the stage at conferences. What You Will Learn • A wide range of skills which will help you make a solid and persuasive presentation or talk • How to craft compelling stories • How to write better (blogs and copy) about technical products and events Who This Book is For DevOps, developer evangelists, testers, architects, product managers, sales engineers, solution architects, CTOs, CEOs, startup founders, marketers Contents 5 About the Author 6 Acknowledgments 7 Introduction 8 Chapter 1: The Tech Stage 9 The Technology Arena Today 9 Why You Should Speak in Conferences 10 The Pains Techies Have 10 Ten Secrets 10 Chapter 2: Story 11 Why You Should Tell Stories 12 Role Play Before You Show the Boring Slide 13 The Internet Is on Fire 13 When Stories Humanize Products 14 The First Ever Tweet 15 Show Who You Are 16 Now Become a Storyteller 17 Types of Stories You Can Use 17 Best Practices for Storytelling 18 Chapter 3: Killer Demos 19 Demos on the Tech Stage 20 Product Launches 20 Startup Pitches 20 API Demos 21 Demos That Rocked the Tech Stage 23 The Mother of All Demos (1968) 23 Macintosh Launch (1984) 23 iPhone Launch (2007) 24 Minecraft on Microsoft HoloLens (2015) 24 Other Demos Worth Watching 25 How to Give a Great Demo 25 No Creativity, No Demo 26 Structure Your Demo 26 Practice, Practice, Practice 27 Embedding Your Demos in the Browser 28 Key Takeaways 29 Chapter 4: Metaphor 30 What Is a Metaphor? 31 Definition of Metaphor 31 Everyday Metaphors 31 Some Famous Metaphors 32 Great Metaphors Used in Technology 33 Create Your Own Metaphors 35 Similes and Analogies 35 Simile 36 Analogy 36 Examples 36 Why You Should Use Metaphors 37 Best Practices 38 Key Takeaways 39 Chapter 5: Dataviz 40 What Is “Data Visualization”? 41 Not All Visualizations Are Good for Presentations 41 The Three Basic Charts 41 Common Mistakes in Presenting Data 44 Not Knowing Your Point 44 Choosing the Wrong Type of Chart 44 Graphs That Are Too Busy 45 Lack of Context 45 Titles Without Insight 46 A Blue Square on a Map of the United States 46 Sometimes Dataviz Is the Perfect Way to Communicate an Idea 47 A Business School 101 Graph 48 The Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed 49 A Data Storyteller Making Impact 50 Cinematic Presentations 51 Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics 52 Best Practices to Present Data Effectively 53 Dataviz on Your Pitch 55 Key Takeaways 56 Chapter 6: Passion 57 Talks Come from a Source of Passion 58 Developers, Developers, Developers 58 Passion for Devices 59 Passion for Astronomy 60 Passion for Coaching Speakers in the Tech Arena 60 No Voice, No Passion 62 How Much Passion Is Too Much? 64 Best Practices 64 Key Takeaways 65 Chapter 7: Props 66 Props in Pitching Competitions 67 An Overhead Projector 68 Inspiration from Other Fields 68 “Oh, You Think Smoking Kills” 69 Finding the Right Prop 70 Best Practices for Using Props 70 Key Takeaways 71 Chapter 8: Presentation Hacks 72 Do I Always Need Presentation Slides to Speak? 73 Design Well and Present Well 73 Design Your Presentation Slides 73 Present Your Slides 75 Presentation Hacks from the Masters 76 “New.PPT” by Mikko Hyppönen 76 “Create As a Comedian” by Mikko Hyppönen 77 “Break Up the Bullet Points” by Kevlin Henney 77 “Show Code with Context” by Kevlin Henney 78 “Skip Slides on the Fly” by Kevlin Henney 78 “Slide Velocity” by Kevlin Henney 79 “What If I Am Showing the Wrong Slides?” by Elisa Heikura 79 Beyond Presentation Software 79 The Web Browser Is My Presentation Software 79 The World Isn’t Ready for Cinematic Presentations 80 Key Takeaways 81 Chapter 9: Interaction 82 What Is Audience Interaction? 83 How to Interact with Your Audience 83 Asking Questions 83 Interactive Polls During the Talk 84 Other Tactics for Audience Interaction 84 Key Takeaways 86 Chapter 10: Staging 87 What Is Staging? 88 How Engelbart Created a Theater Stage 88 Speaking at a Cinema 89 Prepare Yourself for the Stage 89 Staging at the Largest Tech Events 90 Apple Events 90 Tesla Product Launches 90 Your Home Is the Stage 90 You Can Influence Your Staging 91 Best Practices 92 Key Takeaways 93 Chapter 11: Memory 94 Remembering Your Lines 95 Should You Learn a Speech by Heart? 96 A Trick to Hide Your Notes 96 The Risk of Becoming a Teleprompter Reader 97 How Many Times Does a World Champion of Public Speaking Rehearse? 98 Key Takeaways 98 Chapter 12: The Virtual Tech Stage 99 A Virtual Conference Made Different 99 Benefits of Virtual Conferences 100 How to Be Effective in Virtual Presentations 101 Main Skills to Learn or Improve 101 Videoconferencing Tools 101 Speak in Front of a Camera 102 Set Your Own Stage 102 Voice 104 Interaction in the Virtual World 105 Conferences Won’t Be the Same in the Short Term 105 Chapter 13: Get Started! 107 What If I Have Impostor Syndrome? 107 Find a Great Topic 108 Bloggers First 109 Applying for Conferences 109 A Tool for Speakers in Tech 111 Having a Talk Is Not the End Goal 112 Beware of Scams 112 Some Final Advice 113 You’ve Got to Have a Mentor 113 Keep Your Hands Dirty 113 Now, Get Out and Speak! 114 Appendix A: Resources 115 For Further Reading 115 Useful Online Tools 116 Applications 116 Podcasts 116 Online Galleries for Photos 117 Public Speaking Training 117 Index 118 One impactful product launch can make a world of difference in a company's lifelong success. Unforgettable presentations, such as the iPhone launch by Steve Jobs, have set high standard for wow-ing a tech audience, and lessons can be taken from this and other memorable conference stage moments to ensure your own personal success on the stage. A few simple practices can solidify your place and help you rock the tech stage. By revealing ten essential secrets to speaking persuasively in the tech arena, author Oscar Santolalla lends his industry expertise to the lucky readers of Rock the Tech Stage. With real-world advice from entrepreneurs, executives, and engineers from companies that have shaped modern tech history, Santolalla has created an invaluable resource for those wanting to improve their presentation and demo skills. Whether you want to up your game in small team meetings or in a large-scale launch for thousands, Rock the Tech Stage is the handbook you've been looking for. As the culture changes and continues to adapt, there are increasingly more spaces to share your knowledge and promote your creations. Several unprecedented factors have changed the venues, styles, and technology behind public speaking, and whether you are speaking to a video call of ten colleagues or an arena of thousands, this book will serve as your trusted guide. How should you speak about your product or company in a way that instills long-term faith and fidelity in your audience? Rock the Tech Stage addresses all of the above concerns and so much more. No matter how large or small your project or invention may be, the tech stage that awaits you is yours for the taking, and it is up to you to seize the day and rock it