Crafting a Conference Talk

Topics Covered:

Why more people should consider public speaking—and how to get started
How Petra approaches talk creation: mind maps, card decks, and structured rehearsal
Teresa’s top-down talk-building method focused on audience transformation
What makes a good “first talk” (hint: show your work!)
Why meetup organizers want to hear from new speakers—especially women and underrepresented voices
Tips for managing stage fright, finding your voice, and choosing your topic
How big-stage talks (like Product at Heart and Y Oslo) come together over months
The surprising power of impromptu lines—and how to leave room for them
Matching your prep process to your stage and experience level
How public speaking sharpens your thinking and deepens your learning

Resources & Links:

Mentioned in the episode:

How I Go About Creating a Talk: My Step-by-Step Process by Petra Wille
Nancy Duarte's books
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
Opportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Cicero Public Speaking Deck – Petra’s go-to tool for structuring talks
Melissa Suzuno - our mutual blog editor

Places to give your first talks:

Conferences mentioned:

Some of our talks:

Continuous Discovery Habits with Teresa for Y Oslo
Managing Up with Petra for Y Oslo
Justify Your Product Decisions and get Stakeholder Buy in – Teresa Torres, Mind the Product SF 2019
Even You Can Do Continuous Discovery - Bringing the - Discovery Habits to Every Organization – Teresa Torres, - Product at Heart 2023

Information