How It All Began
Back in January 2023, I attended iOS Conf SG 2023, marking my first-ever iOS conference experience. The conference was amazing, but one particular moment stood out. It was when Paul said these 10 powerful words on a panel:
Everyone has something to learn; everyone has something to teach.
Paul Hudson, Hacking With Swift
Those words resonated with me, leaving a lasting impact on my heart.
Fast forward to September 2023, an unexpected email from Janina, one of the organizers of iOS Conf SG 2024, landed in my inbox. She asked if I would be interested in giving a lightning talk at the upcoming conference.
At first, I felt hesitant, but Paul’s quote really inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and share my experiences on stage. With newfound determination, I replied to Janina’s email with a confident “YES.” And that’s how my journey to the iOS Conf SG 2024 stage began.
Picking the Right Topic
The first step in preparing for the talk was selecting a topic that I was genuinely passionate about, suitable for a conference setting, and could fit into a 10-minute lightning talk. Following Antoine‘s advice to me last year at the conference, I checked my past articles for inspiration.
After careful consideration, I settled on a topic I had explored back in 2021: “The Actor Reentrancy Problem in Swift.” It is a crucial yet not widely discussed topic, and its straightforward nature made it a perfect fit for an impactful 10-minute lightning talk.
With my topic set, I was ready for the next phase of my speaking journey.
Having Fun with Keynote and Animation
Unlike many speakers, my approach is a bit different — I like to lay out and create all the presentation slides before even thinking about the script. These slides act like a “mind map” for me, helping me to organize and visualize how I want to carry out my presentation.
Before jumping into creating the slides, I set clear guidelines for myself on how to create good presentation slides:
- Short and straightforward sentences: Presentation slides should act as a tool to draw attention, not a tool to explain everything.
- Keep code to a minimum: Developers like reading code; show them too much, and they might start reading instead of listening.
- Avoid unnecessary slide animations: Too many special effects in the presentation slides will end up being a distraction.
The reason I set these rules for myself is to ensure my slides are clear and easy for the audience to follow.
Taking it even further, I decided to add animations to illustrate the differences between data race and reentrancy. Since I’m not a Keynote animation pro, I turned to YouTube for help and found a useful tutorial. I highly recommend this tutorial to anyone looking to learn more about Keynote animation.
With my newfound knowledge, it took me less than a day to create all the slides, and I am pretty proud of how they turned out! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the animations.
Its Scripting Time
When it comes to the most challenging part of the entire process, I would say it’s scripting. As a non-native English speaker, crafting a script that sounds natural in public speaking is a bit tricky for me.
This is where ChatGPT becomes really handy. What I did was break down all the points I wanted to cover on each slide and then asked ChatGPT to help me transform them into a public speaking-style script. And you know what? The initial results were pretty good!
After a few iterations, tweaking here and there, and adding some of my personal touches, the script started to take shape. It’s amazing how ChatGPT unexpectedly became my scripting companion, assisting me throughout the entire script-writing process!
Practice, Practice, Practice
With my presentation slides and script in place, and the conference just one month away, the next step is to practice relentlessly. 💪🏻
Taking almost a week, I memorized the entire script. During this process, I made tweaks to certain words to enhance pronunciation, opting for simpler terms like changing “simultaneously” to “at the same time“.
Once the memorization was complete, I committed to practicing 3 times a day. Given that it’s just a 10-minute lightning talk, this totals to a manageable 30 minutes of effort daily.
Initially, I practiced in front of a mirror to get used to presenting while looking at someone. However, I soon realized this wasn’t practical because I wouldn’t be just staring at one person in the audience during the actual talk. So, I shifted my strategy to looking at various spots around the room, creating a more natural presentation feel.
After a week of consistent practice, I could smoothly present from start to finish, with only a few minor hiccups occasionally.
One problem with memorizing the script is that when I get distracted, I get stuck and struggle to regain focus promptly. My solution to this is to just practice more. If you know of a better way to overcome this, feel free to share!
The Rehearsal
All the speakers, including myself, didn’t get the chance to do a full rehearsal on the actual stage. Fortunately, Janina generously offered to spend time with me for a complete online rehearsal.
We went through the entire presentation, slide by slide. After navigating through the entire presentation, Janina responded: “It’s perfect! I don’t have much to add. I like it!” Hearing these words from someone experienced in organizing such events truly boosted my confidence.
Despite the positive feedback, Janina provided a valuable suggestion. “You should introduce yourself a bit; you don’t even mention your name.” This was one of those moments when you realized you got so caught up in crafting the content that you forgot about the basics of presentation — introducing yourself. 🤦🏻♂️
The Big Day
Fast forward to the second day of iOS Conf SG 2024 – the day that I had to take the stage.
To be honest, I didn’t feel nervous at all. The audience was made up of friends and fellow developers from all over the world. They’re not here to bite; they’re here to share and learn. So, no need to stress.
Everything went quite well on stage. There were a couple of tiny hiccups, but nothing major. I felt satisfied with how everything went. The entire presentation was recorded and you can find it here. Enjoy! 😉
I would like to give a special shout-out to my buddy Rudrank. He was sitting right next to me after my presentation. His immediate comment was heartening, “Your presentation is perfect, Senpai!“. It’s those little moments of encouragement that make it all worthwhile.
My Sincere Gratitude ❤️
A big shout-out to all the organizers and volunteers who made this incredible event possible. I’m truly grateful for their hard work and dedication.
I also want to extend my thanks to the amazing technical team. Their quick resolution of my on-stage technical issue saved the day, really appreciate their prompt assistance.
To the fantastic audience, thank you for capturing moments from my presentations from various angles. You guys are truly awesome!
If you come across any posts that are not being mentioned here, please let me know. 😄
I also want to give a special thanks to Jane for inviting me to share a Mandarin version of my presentation on her YouTube channel. Be sure to check it out if you speak Mandarin. Also don’t forget to subscribe to her channel.
Last but certainly not least, I must express my gratitude to the person who inspired me to step onto the stage – Paul Hudson. Your feedback and comments on my presentation meant the world to me. Thank you, Paul!
Some Final Thoughts
It’s been an awesome journey! I’ve gained so much, and the learning has been amazing. As for whether I’ll be giving another talk in the future, well, it’s a bit too early to say for sure, but one thing’s certain – when the right time comes, I’m definitely up for it again.
Attending conferences is more than just learning new knowledge; it’s also a chance to make new friends from around the world. If you get the opportunity, don’t hesitate to step onto that stage and share your thoughts. You never know if someone in the audience or across the globe might find inspiration in your presentation.
So, my advice to anyone thinking about joining a conference: go for it. If there’s a chance to step on stage, don’t shy away. Always remember these powerful 10 words: “Everyone has something to learn; everyone has something to teach.“
👋🏻 Hey!
While you’re still here, why not check out some of my favorite Mac tools on Setapp? They will definitely help improve your day-to-day productivity. Additionally, doing so will also help support my work.
- ✨ Bartender: Superpower your menu bar and take full control over your menu bar items.
- ✨ CleanShot X: The best screen capture app I’ve ever used.
- ✨ PixelSnap: Measure on-screen elements with ease and precision.
- ✨ iStat Menus: Track CPU, GPU, sensors, and more, all in one convenient tool.
