> Markdown version of [/videos/866-from-gazelle-to-pride-leader-the-path-to-public-speaking-in-tech?t=595](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/866-from-gazelle-to-pride-leader-the-path-to-public-speaking-in-tech?t=595). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md).

---

# From Gazelle to Pride Leader: The Path to Public Speaking in Tech

Public speaking is a developer's ultimate career cheat code. Conquer imposter syndrome, master the CFP process, and transform your anxiety into industry authority.

- **Speakers:** [Carly Richmond](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@carly-richmond)
- **Event:** WeAreDevelopers LIVE
- **Published:** March 13, 2024
- **Duration:** 58:08
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/866-from-gazelle-to-pride-leader-the-path-to-public-speaking-in-tech

## Summary

Overcoming glossophobia—the primal fear of public speaking—is a critical yet often neglected step for career progression in the technology sector. Common barriers keep countless technologists off stage, ranging from imposter syndrome and the myth of not being 'technical enough' to the stark lack of relatable industry role models. Confronting these anxieties transforms speaking engagements from intimidating obligations into powerful tools for professional leverage, enabling developers to build authority and expand their network within the broader tech community.

Transitioning from an anxious beginner to a confident speaker demands an incremental, strategic approach. Building communication muscles starts with low-pressure environments, such as narrating agile sprint reviews, publishing technical blogs on developer forums, or delivering five-minute lightning talks. Engaging with active speaker networks, Toastmasters communities, or targeted mentorship programs bridges the soft-skills gap that day-to-day engineering workflows typically lack, steadily equipping presenters to tackle 40-minute conference keynotes with confidence.

Demystifying the Call for Papers (CFP) process is the crucial hurdle in securing platform visibility. Successful submissions rely on concise storytelling, clearly defined target audiences, and a compelling elevator pitch explaining why the speaker is the right fit. When navigating stage delivery, adopting visually clean slide designs rather than relying on decks as speaker notes significantly improves audience engagement. Embracing the vulnerability to say 'I don't know' during rigorous Q&A sessions further establishes authenticity. Ultimately, curating a robust speaking portfolio—whether detailing intricate code frameworks or agile leadership workflows—paves the way for diverse industry opportunities, including specialized roles like developer advocacy.

**Keywords:** public speaking for technologists, overcoming glossophobia, technical conference CFP, developer advocacy careers, sessionize event platform, lightning talk preparation, imposter syndrome in engineering, tech community networking, engineering soft skills, agile sprint review presentations, presentation slide design, technical communication skills, q&a session strategies, software developer mentorship, technology career progression

## Chapters

1. **The fear of public speaking** (01:10) — Recognizing the physiological and psychological reasons behind glossophobia and performance anxiety.
1. **Overcoming past experiences and lack of role models** (03:31) — Moving past bad speaking experiences and addressing the challenge of finding diverse representation in tech events.
1. **The myth of not being technical enough** (09:55) — Why conference talks do not strictly require coding deep-dives or extreme technical details to be valuable.
1. **Building speaking skills through writing and community** (14:59) — Starting with blogging, internal training, mentorship, and local meetup involvement to steadily build confidence.
1. **Creating an incremental public speaking plan** (22:21) — Scaling up presentation length and audience size from brief sprint reviews to full conference slots.
1. **Finding and submitting to call for papers** (29:02) — Strategies for discovering potential formats and crafting effective talk abstracts for conference organizers.
1. **Preparing slide decks and practicing delivery** (36:53) — Designing clean slides that support rather than distract, while utilizing rehearsal techniques to improve delivery.
1. **Answering audience questions safely** (39:27) — Managing the Q&A segment smoothly, including admitting when an answer is unknown to avoid giving false information.
1. **How public speaking accelerates career growth** (40:53) — Leveraging presentation skills to connect with community, demonstrate expertise, and unlock new job opportunities.
1. **Q&A: The role of a developer advocate** (42:45) — Exploring the daily responsibilities of measuring content creation alongside community support.
1. **Q&A: Getting started in tech and finding career direction** (45:57) — Advice on building a portfolio, reaching out for mentorship, and intentionally evaluating next career steps.
1. **Q&A: Role models and navigating male-dominated environments** (54:42) — Dealing with a lack of gender diversity in technical environments and finding supportive allies to help scale representation.

## Related Moments

- [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")
- [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")
- [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")
- [Gaining public speaking skills and entering developer relations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/868-fingerboard-to-keyboard-transposing-one-profession-to-another) (from "Fingerboard to Keyboard: Transposing One Profession to Another")
- [Managing physiological stress and stage fright at developer conferences](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1299-new-browser-apis-end-of-react-create-app-smuggling-data-in-emoji-and-more-with-rowdy-rabouw) (from "New Browser APIs, End of React Create App, Smuggling Data in Emoji and more with Rowdy Rabouw")
- [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")

## Related Articles

- [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)
- [A Guide to Public Speaking For Software Engineers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/324-a-guide-to-public-speaking-for-software-engineers)
- [How to Become a Conference Speaker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/377-how-to-become-a-conference-speaker)
- [13 Tips For Your Conference Presentations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/384-13-tips-for-your-conference-presentations)

## Related Jobs

- [Staff Developer Advocate, GitHub Security Lab](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1921051-staff-developer-advocate-github-security-lab) at **GitHub**
- [Tribe Lead - ( Software) Engineering Centre of Excllence](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1475530-tribe-lead-software-engineering-centre-of-excllence) at **SD Worx**
- [Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/328836-senior-engineer-infrastructure-platform) at **Intercom, Inc.**
- [Principal Software Engineer, Enterprise AI Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1467292-principal-software-engineer-enterprise-ai-platform) at **GitHub**
- [Senior Software Engineer, Client Apps Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1773893-senior-software-engineer-client-apps-platform) at **GitHub**
- [Senior Software Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/15942-senior-software-engineer) at **GitHub**