In case anyone is wondering how I prep my talks...

It starts as an outline in my notes app or work journal. Lately I’ve been writing these while snuggling with my cat in bed https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😻" title="Grinsendes Katzengesicht mit herzförmigen Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Grinsendes Katzengesicht mit herzförmigen Augen">

The title of the note is the tentative talk title (& talk site)

My talk outline starts with my GOAL for the talk: what do I want the audience to get out of it?

Then I plan out the talk with a bullet point for each slide

Knowing the content and order before I even open keynote means I just have to decide which entertaining gifs to use https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit Freudentränen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Freudentränen">

I always put my twitter handle on every slide I make. That way, if my slides get shared, they’re like branded content

I don’t write out and practice a script, but I use the slides as reminders of my main points

It helps to memorize a few relevant stories you can tell whenever

If I practice anything, it’s the transition between different slides

Before the actual talk, I spend ~20 minutes reviewing the slides to make sure I remember the flow of the talk and know how many points are on each slide. That way, I’m not surprised when a new slide comes up

During the talk: have fun, stay loose, and get comfortable varying your speed and volume

During Q&A: don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” It’s better than making up an answer that turns out to be wrong

I hope this thread was useful for anyone preparing a talk right now