How to Give a Talk

This article is for anyone who has not given a talk before, but veterans may also find it useful.

User Groups

A local user group such as ours is a great place to get started. The atmosphere is very welcoming and supportive. People are there to learn and to help each other learn.

Lightning Talks

If you're completely new to giving a talk, I highly recommend starting with a lightning talk. Preparing five minutes of material is really easy if you scope the talk correctly. The purpose of a lightning talk is to introduce a topic briefly. The audience should learn the basics of your topic and have a good idea why it may be useful, and where to get started if they need to learn more.

Tips

As with any talk, it's usually a good idea to describe the problem your topic is solving. Don't take it for granted, and even if it's obvious, it gives you a good place to start.