Richard Seidl
Public speaking in the tech and testing industry is driven by diverse motivations ranging from sharing knowledge and building community to personal growth and career development. Many face the challenge of stage anxiety, but practical strategies such as thorough preparation, audience interaction, and mindful slide design help overcome these hurdles. Technical audiences often look for concrete examples and actionable steps, making clarity and relevance essential.
Podcast Episode: Public Speaking - Testers on Stage
In this episode, I talk with Maryia Tuleika about stepping on stage in tech and testing. We explore why people speak: joy of sharing, stage energy, and community. The hard part is fear and stress. If you fear the stage, you will hear simple moves that help. Maryia shows how to switch stress to excitement: prep well, record dry runs, collect feedback, use box breathing, slow down, and stand tall.
"So my recommendation is not to Care too much about the audience face expressions while you're talking from the stage because you never know what it means." - Maryia Tuleika
Maryia Tuleika is a Quality Engineering Leader who leads teams, creates testing strategies, drives education programs and actively contributes to the testing community. As a mentor, speaker and conference organiser she helps new test professionals build their skills and confidence. She is a podcast host and a co-founder of Beyond Quality community of practice. Maryia believes that great testing brings both technical excellence and knowing what to prioritize, think critically and enjoy the process.
Highlights der Episode
- Public speaking helps share knowledge and build personal brand.
- Preparation is essential for confident stage performance.
- Slides should support, not overwhelm, your talk.
- Audience reactions can vary by culture and aren’t always negative.
- Community support makes starting public speaking easier.
From Stage Fright to Conference Spotlight: Public Speaking Insights for Testers
Public speaking at conferences might feel like the domain of seasoned professionals, but as Richie points out, there’s a growing need for everyday testers and tech professionals to share their knowledge from the stage. In a candid conversation, Maryia Tuleika underscores a central motivation: it’s not just about boosting your own profile, but about helping others and enriching the entire community.
For some, like Maryia Tuleika, the drive to get on stage stems from a passion for teaching, mentoring, and inspiring others. Whether coaching junior engineers or sharing hard-earned lessons, she highlights the collective value: “It brings a lot of joy and happiness when you share and see the knowledge you share growing, multiplying and being applied.” For many in testing and tech, public speaking is a way to relive the joy of performance—translating youthful experiences of singing or acting into grown-up knowledge sharing.
At the same time, Richie reflects on his nearly two decades of presenting, noting how public speaking has always been a way to infuse his perspective into the community and ignite inspiration for better software quality practices.
Facing the Fear: From Nerves to Excitement
Of course, standing in front of a room full of peers is daunting—whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth. Maryia Tuleika is quick to acknowledge that nerves are normal, and she discovered through conversations with seasoned speakers that the adrenaline rush before stepping onto the stage rarely goes away. The key is learning how to channel that energy.
She recommends practical techniques like reframing the sensation—reminding yourself, “I’m not feeling stressful, I’m feeling excited.” and using square breathing exercises to calm the nervous system. Preparation is also essential: rehearsing, recording yourself, and asking for feedback from friends or family members all help build confidence.
Crucially, Maryia Tuleika emphasizes the importance of understanding the audience and customizing the talk: “You start to speak a bit slower and it’s a good thing to come in the mood just before taking this first step on the stage.”
Crafting Compelling Slides and Stories
One recurring piece of advice from experienced speakers is about slides: less is more. Overloading your presentation with text or bullet points splits the audience’s attention and distracts from your message. Instead, use visuals or simple prompts to enhance your narrative, not replace it. Maryia Tuleika suggests having back-up notes just in case technical hiccups occur, but believes slides should support your story—not dictate it.
Both speakers agree that minimal slides give you flexibility, room to improvise, and prevent the audience from noticing if you skip a point or change course mid-presentation. This encourages a narrative style: identify the problem you faced, describe how you approached and solved it, and finish with actionable takeaways.
Connecting with the Tech Audience
Speaking at tech conferences comes with its own nuances. As Maryia Tuleika says, “the audience wants concrete examples and specific approaches.” Technical audiences crave actionable steps and clear takeaways they can apply in their own work. Expect a crowd that’s analytical, possibly less outwardly expressive, but deeply engaged on a cognitive level.
Cultural differences play a role, too; don’t be discouraged by passive faces—sometimes the deepest thinkers just don’t show it until after your talk. Instead, look for supportive “energy power stations” in the audience who give encouraging nonverbal feedback.
Supporting the Next Generation of Conference Speakers
To motivate more testers and technologists to take the stage, Maryia Tuleika is authoring an eBook on public speaking—focusing on purpose, preparation, and presentation. Drawing on community wisdom, her guide aims to demystify the process for newcomers and seasoned professionals alike. She encourages anyone curious about speaking to join forums and reach out on LinkedIn or communities like Beyond Quality, where support abounds.
Public speaking in the tech world isn’t just about individual recognition—it’s about elevating the entire community. Whether you’re sharing at a local meetup or headlining a conference, your voice and experience are needed. As Richie and Maryia Tuleika agree: there’s no excuse not to step up and share your story.