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# How to Submit CFPs and Get into Public Speaking - Moran Weber

Moran Weber reveals why organizers instantly reject AI-generated conference pitches. Learn how to craft winning CFPs, conquer imposter syndrome, and captivate developer audiences with authentic storytelling.

- **Speakers:** 
- **Event:** 
- **Published:** July 2, 2026
- **Duration:** 51:50
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2112-how-to-submit-cfps-and-get-into-public-speaking-moran-weber

## Summary

Navigating the world of developer conferences begins long before stepping onto the stage, starting with the delicate art of the Call for Papers (CFP) submission. While many developers rely heavily on AI tools to draft their titles and abstracts, organizers quickly dismiss overly-generated, buzzword-heavy pitches that lack a genuine voice. A successful submission relies on three pillars—title, abstract, and bio—with the title acting as smart clickbait to win over attendees choosing between parallel tracks. Rather than blending into the average with generic AI text, speakers must embrace their unique narratives, finding compelling fusions between their daily hobbies or cognitive psychology and software engineering challenges.<br><br>Once selected, overcoming the pervasive imposter syndrome, which disproportionately affects underrepresented groups like women in tech, requires recognizing the curse of knowledge—the false assumption that your everyday skills are not worth sharing. Audiences do not want flawless product pitches; they crave the drama, the sleepless nights, and the journey of overcoming failures. By sharing these vulnerabilities, even junior developers can offer profound value by explaining their learning processes to others. When structuring the presentation, start immediately with a compelling story to capture peak audience attention before delivering any personal introductions. Use present-tense quotes to trigger multiple senses and immerse the audience in the narrative.<br><br>From a technical standpoint, the pressure to perform live coding is vastly overestimated and introduces unnecessary risk. Instead, organizers and audiences often prefer a well-constructed slide deck that serves as a backdrop, using visual highlights to walk through code line-by-line without the stress of technical failures. Success on stage is ultimately measured not by immediate perfection, but by long-term audience engagement, post-talk interactions, and the actionable insights attendees can take back to their own teams. By prioritizing authentic storytelling over algorithmic optimization, developers can confidently transform their technical struggles into memorable, educational experiences.

**Keywords:** call for papers submission, developer conference speaking, public speaking stage fright, imposter syndrome in tech, women in tech representation, technical abstract writing, conference talk storytelling, live coding risks, developer advocacy metrics, ai generated speechwriting, curse of knowledge bias, slide deck design patterns, audience engagement tracking, tech community networking, engineering career development

## Chapters

1. **Amplifying women in tech through confident public speaking** (00:56) — How the Women on Stage platform helps software engineers overcome visibility challenges to become confident speakers.
1. **Common mistakes in call for papers submissions** (02:29) — Why relying too heavily on generative AI for talk titles leads to generic and unauthentic submissions.
1. **Structuring an effective talk title and abstract** (03:50) — How crafting specific and engaging titles captures conference organizer attention over generic alternatives.
1. **Developing a unique speaker voice through storytelling** (05:58) — Why authentic personal narratives connect better with reviewers and audiences than AI-generated marketing blurbs.
1. **Creating unique talk topics through personal fusions** (11:21) — How combining day-to-day hobbies or psychology with software development creates standout conference presentations.
1. **Sharing technical struggles and conflicts on stage** (15:32) — Why audiences prefer hearing about messy problem-solving journeys rather than perfect product pitches.
1. **Addressing imposter syndrome and speaker diversity** (18:31) — How speaker platforms help underrepresented groups overcome self-doubt and connect with event organizers.
1. **Measuring the return on investment of conference speaking** (24:55) — How evaluating speaker success through engagement metrics and long-term networking proves more valuable than immediate app feedback.
1. **Opening presentations with high-impact storytelling techniques** (28:07) — How starting immediately with sensory details and quotes hooks the audience more effectively than formal introductions.
1. **Alternatives to risky live coding demonstrations on stage** (33:26) — Why well-designed slide backdrops with highlighted code blocks are safer and often more effective than risky live demos.
1. **Overcoming the curse of knowledge to find talk ideas** (40:45) — How recognizing that everyday technical tasks are valuable to others helps surface practical talk topics.
1. **Channeling stage fright into dynamic presentation energy** (45:11) — How accepting pre-talk anxiety as a natural tool improves speaker preparation and audience delivery.

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- [Overcoming introversion through public speaking in developer relations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1335-wearedevelopers-live-should-we-respect-llms-is-rust-taking-over-developers-as-content-creators-and-more) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Should We Respect LLMs? Is Rust Taking Over? Developers as Content Creators and more")
- [Overcoming extreme shyness and the fear of public speaking](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/911-coffee-with-developers-francesco-ciulla) (from "Coffee with Developers - Francesco Ciulla")
- [Managing stage fright during technical conference moderations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1362-wearedevelopers-live-our-world-congress-2025-code100-highlights-with-jack-barber-and-marco-podien) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Our World Congress 2025 & CODE100 Highlights with Jack Barber and Marco Podien")
- [Transitioning from attendee to public speaker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/550-how-to-survive-conferences-as-an-introvert) (from "How to survive conferences as an introvert")
- [Overcoming past experiences and lack of role models](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/866-from-gazelle-to-pride-leader-the-path-to-public-speaking-in-tech) (from "From Gazelle to Pride Leader: The Path to Public Speaking in Tech")

## Related Articles

- [13 Tips For Your Conference Presentations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/384-13-tips-for-your-conference-presentations)
- [I have a stream! Why it’s definitely worth speaking at tech conferences.](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/24-i-have-a-stream-why-it-s-definitely-worth-speaking-at-tech-conferences)
- [How to Become a Conference Speaker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/377-how-to-become-a-conference-speaker)
- [A Guide to Public Speaking For Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/324-a-guide-to-public-speaking-for-software-engineers)

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