The Road to a Keynote
![The Road to a Keynote [Detail]](/assets/the-road-to-a-keynote.png)
If you’ve ever wanted to speak at a conference, I’d strongly recommend reading Des Traynor’s thoughts on How to Get Started at Conference Speaking. It’s to the point and filled with useful advice that’s well worth heeding.
Traynor, one of the co-founders of Intercom, is a seasoned speaker and his advice, hard won in the trenches, is worth taking on board. One idea that caught my eye is the idea that you can, “Build your own speaking resume without having a stage.” As Traynor puts it the web is a powerful – off stage – medium for practising your on stage thoughts:
As examples, Ryan Singer and Benedict Evans have given great talks to their laptops and published these online. So when people tell me they can’t find their, “first speaking event,” I tell them it’s right in front of them.
This is great advice (and something I’d overlooked before).
I’m a firm believer in the power of conference speaking to shape your thinking, but getting started can be a challenge. If you’re considering embarking on the road to a keynote, I’m sure you’ll appreciate Traynor’s thoughts.