How I Go About Creating a Talk: My Step-by-Step Process
Creating a conference talk isn’t a quick task—it’s a journey I’ve honed over years. I know many people underestimate how much effort goes into creating a great talk, so I’m sharing my entire process here. This is what goes into crafting something that connects, inspires, and lands just right for the audience.
1. Starting with purpose and planning ahead
I have a reason for creating a new talk, like a conference on the horizon. Knowing that I’m a non-native speaker, it takes me a long time to create a talk, so I usually start about nine months in advance. This means I most often only do one new talk topic a year—it just takes me so long to create one. Starting early gives me room to really get it right.
2. Understanding the target group and choosing a draft title
It’s crucial to think about the audience before deciding on the exact topic. If I have a specific event, conference, or meetup in mind, I try to understand who will be in the room. Is it a product conference? Will there be tech people, designers, user researchers? I even try to learn about the attendees’ companies when possible. I’m looking for things like: whether the audience will be B2B vs. B2C; which industries they represent; whether they tend to be from larger corporations, startups, or NGOs; and their perceived product maturity.
Understanding the audience’s background helps me shape a talk that will resonate. For instance, when the Y Oslo organizers shared that their audience would include a lot of design folks, some product people, and a few from engineering, I knew I’d need to find a topic that could provide value across all these roles. That’s when I landed on “Managing Up”—a subject with broad appeal that could connect with everyone in the audience.
From there, I choose a preliminary or draft title. This gives me a general direction, knowing that it will likely evolve over the months as I refine the content. Starting with a draft keeps me flexible, letting the topic naturally develop as I prepare.
3. Thinking about what they’d like to hear
After understanding who’s in the room, I think about what they’d be interested in. Is it a super product-management-specific topic or something more general, like “life as an employee”? I have a talk on storytelling, for example, that’s basically interesting to everyone—product, design, leadership, and even technology. The talk I mentioned earlier on “managing up” is relevant to anyone with a boss. But I also have more targeted talks, like one for product managers on upping their game, where I share a tool for self-assessment. So, the first question is always, “What’s my target audience, and what topic would they be interested in?”
4. Entering research mode
For the next three months, I will go into what I call “research mode.” I’ve decided on the topic, and now I read as many blog posts, books, or anything else I can get my hands on. I’m looking to understand other people’s takes on the topic, and my goal is to find my unique angle. It’s an “information intake” phase, where I surround myself with a lot of content.
Eventually, I find it’s enough. An initial structure usually comes out of all this information—maybe a pattern or a quote that I can use to shape the talk. While the talk is just a collection of ideas at this stage, it can sometimes feel like I’m not making progress. But I’ve observed over years of doing this that information intake and synthesis is crucial, so I’ve learned to trust this part of the process.
Some of the resources that inspired me for my Managing Up talk.
5. First drawings and visualizing the structure
Once I’m ready to start structuring my ideas, I do my first drawing. I draw a lot on my iPad. If you’ve read my books, Strong Product People and Strong Product Communities, you know that they are full of my illustrations.
Drawing on virtual paper is helpful—I can start structuring the material visually, whether it’s a mind map, visual recording, or illustration with text. By this point, I usually have “three things,” “ten things,” or a quote or story I want to use, and I start playing with that visually.
The earliest version of my talk—not there yet!
6. Using the Cicero Card Deck
Next, I use the Cicero Public Speaking Deck by Sefirot, which is designed to help create structured, engaging talks. I lay the cards out and use them to make sure I haven’t forgotten any important points. The deck has prompts for groundwork, main points, and structural elements, ensuring that I’m crafting something both complete and well-paced. Even with experience, I find the deck useful for ensuring I’m covering all essential elements.
7. Creating takeaway moments in storyteller mode
Here, I switch into “storyteller mode” and think about my “gift” to the audience. What will be the takeaway moments? When will they take out their phones to snap a picture of a slide? I think about the main takeaways—what will actually change for them when they go back to their daily life? It might be one action, an inspiring story, or a design-focused “nugget” for the creatives in the room. I create these moments with intent, so every layer fits together into one cohesive story.
A more structured version of my talk, now with a bit of a flow, takeaways, etc.
8. Writing the script, word by word
Next, I write out the entire script in black and white, just words at this stage. I make it a point to write it down, then read it aloud, refining until it sounds like something I’d actually say on stage. As a non-native speaker, I want to be able to remember the sentences, hook lines, and phrasing that will feel natural on stage. Sometimes, I even make it rhyme to help with recall. I work in Word or Google Docs for this phase and do a lot of word-crafting to get it just right.
9. Feedback and adjustments
Once the script feels right, I send it to a few trusted people and get feedback. It’s rare I have to rework the talk, but this first feedback often results in some substantial changes. It’s a vital step to making sure it resonates.
10. Recording myself for more revisions
When the script is in a good place, I record myself reading it aloud. For the next week or so, I listen back on my phone, putting myself in the audience’s shoes. I can take the talk anywhere—walking, sitting at my desk—and listen to it in different contexts, which is practical and leads to more refinements. For the latest talk, I even experimented with AI reading my script to me. I used https://speechify.com/ for this and quite liked it.
11. Designing the slides
Now I start slide design. I work in PowerPoint and use presenter notes heavily, putting my script in the notes first, then designing each slide to align with what I’ll be saying. Over time, I’ve learned how much animation I can manage without missing cues, so I adjust these elements to suit my on-stage style. This phase takes another week or two to get right.
Here's an overview of an earlier version of my slides. All illustrations have been prompted by me with the help of a branded, custom GPT that I have trained.
12. Testing the content in a first presentation
I usually do a first run in German, where I can freestyle a bit more. Ideally, this test happens at a meetup like ProductTank, where I get a live audience. (Although I’ve done all the prep work in English up until this point, I find it easy to switch to German for the talk since it’s usually a low-stakes environment and the German product community is familiar with industry terms in their English form). If no meetup is available, I share it informally with clients or peers to see how it resonates. Testing the material with real people is essential before making final adjustments to the slide and script.
13. Full rehearsals for timing (And some occasional freakouts)
The last part of the process is rehearsing extensively. With 30-minute talks, timing is everything, so I set up my clicker, stand as I would on stage, and rehearse the full talk—usually about 15–20 times—to get it right. Since I deliver in English, I rehearse to a fixed length, complete with slides and notes, to stay precisely on time.
By this point, I’ve heard myself so often that I sometimes get bored of my own talk, or worse, wonder if it’s too basic and won’t resonate with anyone. On other days, it’s a full range of emotions: from feeling like an imposter to questioning why I’m doing all this to finally realizing there’s something valuable in here.
When doubts come up, it’s always helpful to remind myself of the target audience. Putting myself in their shoes lets me reconnect with the talk’s value and see it through their eyes. This focus on timing and audience perspective is critical for a successful delivery.
14. Final preparations and taking the stage
Before stepping onto the stage, I prepare everything to make the talk easily shareable. I work with Anja on a visual recording, create a landing page for the talk on my website, and upload my slides to Speaker Deck. This lets me share the talk with a wider audience right after finishing.
Then comes the final step: choosing what to wear, deciding on makeup, and getting ready to bring it all together on stage. (For anyone who might be considering wearing a dress or jumpsuit, it’s worth noting that microphones often need to be attached inside your clothing, so it’s often easier to wear trousers for this reason!)
Before the big moment, I travel to the conference and go through a tech check. This routine helps calm my nerves—seeing the stage setup, checking the equipment, and meeting the backstage crew always makes me feel more grounded and ready.
Finally, it’s time to step onto the stage and deliver the talk, enjoying every moment. Creating a conference talk takes time, but the reward of delivering something memorable and impactful makes it all worth it.
15. Refinements
While on stage, I’m cautiously watching the audience’s reactions. Are people nodding, smiling, looking at me and the slides? Do they seem engaged? Every audience is different. The Norwegian audience at Y Oslo, for instance, was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop—it was hard to catch the vibe. But then I saw people taking pictures of the slides, and I knew: they were engaged.
After the talk, direct feedback is key. Hearing from peers—other speakers, organizers—and from folks in the audience gives me a fresh perspective. This feedback helps me refine the talk, often with small adjustments to pacing or emphasis that make a big difference. Every interaction sharpens the talk for next time, helping me better connect and deliver value to each unique audience.
Remember: We all have something meaningful to share
Crafting a talk is a journey—one that starts long before stepping on stage and continues even after the applause fades. Each phase, from initial research to refining based on audience feedback, shapes a talk that truly resonates.
For anyone considering public speaking, remember that you don’t start with a conference talk in front of hundreds. Start small: practice within your organization, present at meetups, and speak at smaller conferences.
No matter your background or experience level, each voice and perspective adds incredible value. Public speaking takes commitment, but sharing insights that inspire and impact others makes every step worthwhile—and we all have something meaningful to share.
I’ll leave you with a final word of encouragement to put yourself out there. The world needs different perspectives and inspiring stories, which means we need to hear from you!
I like this quote from Warren Buffett, who says public speaking is “an asset that will last you 50 or 60 years.” But he warns that it’s also a liability; if you don’t like public speaking and working on your communication, it “will also last you 50 or 60 years, and it’s a necessary skill.”