Hi ,

I'm back home after an eventful week at Devoxx Belgium and want to share some things I learned.

Public speaking is scary. You feel vulnerable and are afraid of failure, to look incompetent.

The keynote by Dom Hodgson, https://youtu.be/qgU-BKjE_u4, really put words to what I was feeling. Without realizing it, he helped me feel calmer about my presentation.

Before becoming a speaker myself, it feels so weird saying this. Imposter syndrome? I did not realize how much work goes into creating a presentation. 

The audience only sees the result of all the effort. It is called the iceberg illusion. We can only see the part of the iceberg above the surface. The rest of it, 90%, is below the surface.

We as an audience, can help the presenters get the most out of their presentation by interacting with them.

I did not think that I had anything to share and was overwhelmed with the reactions I got after the presentation. Several attendees thanked me for sharing my challenges and said they have the same feelings. It helps to know that we are not alone.

Don't be afraid to share what you know. There will be others who can benefit from your experiences.

It was the first time I had a chance to present at an international conference. If you are interested in how it went, the presentation is now available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1ZQlkZXeROs

Enjoy,

Markus Westergren