Prepping for PyCon - Tech Talk Basics (Part 1)

PyCon - the largest annual gathering for the community using and developing the open-source Python programming language - is right around the corner. Each year I coach several dozen Python programmers as they prepare presentations for regional Python conferences.

The question I’m asked most often when I’m working speakers in this community is: What’s the best way for me to show code during my talk?

Here are a few important answers to that question:

Remember, the mind has a single point of focus. Your audience can only take in one thing at a time. The trick with code is to show it in a way that illustrates what you’re saying rather than competes with it. This means you should reveal your code as you talk about it, walking your audience through it and giving them time to take it in.

Don’t talk to your code. It’s important to stay connected with the audience even if the content you’re referencing is on a screen behind you. Don’t turn your back and talk to the screen. If you face the audience as you speak, it will help them understand you and help you to know whether they’re keeping up.

Make sure it’s readable. On a visual level, make sure your code is big enough for people in the room to read. It’s often helpful to reveal your code in sections as you step through it so that the audience isn’t overwhelmed with a wall of text. Give thought to whether the color choices you’ve made are going to scale on a screen. Will a black background with white (or colorful) text be readable in the room where you’re speaking?

If you’re getting ready to speak at PyCon or another tech conference, contact me about booking a coaching session. One-on-one sessions include informed, personalized feedback and a game-plan for doing your best on the day of your presentation.