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:

• Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
• Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com

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:

• Meetup
• ProductTank
• ProductCamp
• Toastmasters International

Conferences mentioned:

• TED
• Product at Heart
• Product Management Festival
• Mind the Product Conference

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