EPISODE 055 - Career: How do i start as a Tech Speaker?

Michael Seidl: Welcome to a new episode of the Get Shit Done in IT podcast. My name is Michael Seidl and the question of today is how do I start as a tech speaker? So in some previous episodes, we talked about the MVP stuff and everything and speaking at conferences is one part I do. I think one or two every one or two months, I travel to conferences and do a tech speech. So most of the time I talk about PowerShell, Asia Automation, also about this podcast, Get Shit Done in IT. that's the reason why I tried to answer the questions to how to start as a tech speaker in today, because it was a little bit different as I started, I 10 years ago. Also related to those MVP episodes I did, people asked me how can I get a tech speaker? Do I need to pay? I to earn something? Whatever. So we had some questions and that's the reason for this episode. So first of all, find your topic you want to talk about. Of course, you can talk about everything you like, but I would recommend to find something that also effects, reflects, or touches at least your daily business. Otherwise it would be hard to put that amount of time and effort into preparing a session into all the stuff before and after. Because as I said, also in the MVP sessions, most of the time you will not get any money for being a tech speaker, speaking at conferences. So sometimes... Most of the times, at least you get one or two nights a hotel paid, so at least you can stay for free and sometimes a speaker dinner. Sometimes you get a small amount of money to reimburse your traveling, but that's not giving you all the money. It's just a little part of that money. But 100 % you will not get paid.

Michael Seidl: for the time, for the effort and everything. most of the time, if you do a tech conference and the speaker of the tech conference, you pay money. Okay. You will always be losing money when you want to calculate it very hard. You always lose money when you do a tech speech. Yeah. Sometimes you get a hotel, sometimes you get some money, traveling money, but most of the 100 % you will lose money. You will lose time, will lose money. Yeah, that's it. But that should not really sound negative. That's just a fact. Okay, you will not get money. So don't do it for the money because there is no money. And that's the reason to find a topic you like, you love, you have in your daily business. Because otherwise, this effort, this time, this money, you have to spend. Maybe makes it hard to spend that thing on a topic you just don't like. That's it. So I like PowerShell. I like Asia automation. I do this in my daily business. I do this also in my private time. I do this also in my own company time. So that's what I like. That's what I love. That's what I'm good in. And that's what I talk about. Okay. So I always have new ideas, new stuff to talk. easy when it comes to find new topics, to find new content for sessions because I do daily work daily with that topic I talk about. Okay. So that's, I would prefer to find a topic you like you have in your daily business and you work daily with. So if you find your topic, then it's about to create the session, of course, and try your session. I would recommend to maybe have a smaller group of online sessions and online conferences. There are lot of online conferences out there, a lot of user groups out there, but at least it's a little bit more familiar. Because lot of tech nerdy guys are in user groups, sessions and conferences are mostly for paid customers, so they expect a little bit when you know what I mean.

Michael Seidl: When you start with online conferences or user groups, it's a little bit more familiar. It's a little bit more private. You're not that exposed. And they can give you honest feedback about your session, about your topics, about your speech, about your speed of speech, about your presentations, your demos, whatever. So they can give you really good feedback about your sessions. Sometimes, most of the times, those sessions are recorded. So you can, if you like it, you can watch your session afterwards and see yourself, how you did. for my example, have a lot of ehs and mmh and so those filler words I need to work on. And that's something you only see when you watch yourself. Okay. So that's also helpful when there are online sessions or you can record it and see, but most of the time online sessions are recorded so you can watch yourself later and learn and improve and so on. And then, of course, go to bigger stage. So find conferences, real conferences with real humans where you're being on stage, where you have to expose yourself a little bit more. I prefer those sessions to be honest. I don't like those online sessions because I want to interact with the people. I want to see their reaction. I want to play a little bit with their reactions. So I want to look in the eyes when I talk about a specific session and see their reactions. So that's what I like. So that's why I prefer real conferences and real sessions with real humans. instead of online sessions and remote sessions. But of course, it's more challenging to stay on stage, to be in front of 10, 20, 100, 300, whatever people, and to talk maybe an hour and don't lose any words, don't break any demos and so on. So of course, and you need some time to prepare all those stuff. So maybe we do a session about how to prepare.

Michael Seidl: a text speech, prepare a text speech, let me know. But I think that that three point is a good way to how to start as a speaker, as a text speaker, find your topic, find small or remote online stages and sessions and then go to the big stage and do real conferences. And maybe the fourth part is how to at least find a conference or session to be part of. Because so usually how I and in my bubble, how do we find sessions is mainly of course on social media. We have been on several conferences, they do yearly conferences. So we are in their bubble, in the newsletter and so on. And what they have in common is that they do a public call for speakers. mostly on sessionized or run events, different platforms where you can submit a session with a catchy title, a catchy and funny description. And then at the end, people who are making the conferences will decide on a lot of points. I never did a conference by myself, so I don't know. but they have some parameters on how they decide, of course, does the topic fit to the conference. And maybe MVPs has also an advantage for being accepted as a session, but mainly you apply to a conference and someone agrees or denies your session. That's it. So of course, on user groups, the mostly is good when you contact the organizers and say, I have a session I want to start. They mostly accept and they're looking for content. So those smaller user groups, there's a little bit harder to get new content. So when you ask them directly, there is a good chance to be accepted. But for bigger conferences, you have to write a catchy phrase, a catchy title, a catchy description to attract the organizers and to be accepted. So that's it. So find a topic.

Michael Seidl: What makes fun because you have to invest a lot of time, a lot of effort and some money. Start small on user groups, onsite or online, and then go to the big stages, big conferences, and of course go to the platforms or to the user groups and contact those organizers or apply by a call for sessions, call for paper to be accepted for a conference. So that's it. And if you like it, go ahead, find new topics, find new sessions. Find new ways to bring your content, your ideas, your findings, your whatever out to the stage. Make it interesting. that's then it's not how to start. It's then more the advanced way how to survive as a tech speaker. So how to find new topics, how to find new ways to present, to transform your knowledge to the audience. So that's also something. maybe an extra episode if you like, just let me know. Then we can talk about these topics, how to survive as a tech speaker. But for now, we are finished. I wish you a nice Monday. Thanks for listening. Stay productive and bye-bye.