Twenty years ago, speaking in front of a crowd terrified me. I would rather fail skip a class than stand in front of an audience. Fast forward to 2025, and I was on the DevWorld stage in Amsterdam: calm and confident.

This isn’t a story about flawless rehearsals or perfectly scripted talks — it’s a honest journey filled with mishaps, genuine learning, and unexpected moments of triumph.

In this blog I want to highlight my lessons learned with some tips & tricks for you to apply in your own journey.

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Tip 1: Start with a Buddy

My first talk was back in 2012, when responsive design was the latest buzzword. I teamed up with a colleague at our small web agency, and we took our first plunge into public speaking.

I still remember the nerves—fumbling with my slides and accidentally swapping min-width with max-width. Despite my shaky start, having my buddy on stage helped ease the tension. We could cover for each other and even laugh off our mistakes in real-time.

Sharing the spotlight reduces the pressure. The journey feels less daunting and more collaborative when you have someone by your side.

The audience, too, plays an essential role in this dynamic. They are often more invested in the genuine learning process than in pursuing flawlessness. When they witness teamwork in action, they appreciate the authenticity behind the effort. It humanizes the experience and makes the endeavor relatable.

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Tip 2: Embrace Your Unknowns

In 2015, I decided it was time to go solo with a talk on the JavaScript Web Speech API. Facing an audience of mostly experienced developers, I felt the weight of expectations to deliver something technical and in-depth.

When a question about accented speech caught me off guard, instead of scrambling for an answer, I admitted, “I don’t know — but let’s figure this out together after my talk!” That honest response opened up a collaborative dialogue, changing a moment of panic into a learning opportunity for everyone.

Practicing honesty lays the foundation for trust. When you openly acknowledge your areas of uncertainty, it enhances the authenticity of your presentation.

This vulnerability not only makes your message more relatable but also encourages your audience to actively participate in exploring new ideas with you. Inviting them into this shared discovery journey creates a more engaging and dynamic atmosphere that fosters connection and collaboration.

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Tip 3: Let Teaching Expose Your Gaps

By 2018, I mentored interns and taught courses on HTML, CSS, Flexbox, Grid, JavaScript, React, Angular, and more.

One session stands out: a bright intern asked, “What is a ternary operator in JavaScript?” I didn’t have a ready answer then, but rather than feeling embarrassed, I saw it as an opportunity to learn together.

We dove into the topic, and the discussion turned into a mini-workshop that benefited everyone in the room.

Teaching goes beyond sharing knowledge. It embodies the journey of learning side by side with your students. Rather than presenting oneself as the sole authority, acknowledging one's areas of uncertainty can transform each educational session into a shared expedition of discovery.

This collaborative approach enhances understanding and creates a rich environment where participants feel empowered to contribute their insights and experiences.

In this way, every discussion evolves into a great experience of ideas and perspectives, deepening the collective knowledge of both the instructor and the audience.

Don’t stress if things don’t go as planned — most people won’t know your original plan.

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Tip 4: Use Real-World Projects for Content

During 2023 and 2024, I partnered with my buddy Marco two talks on cutting-edge topics like GitHub Copilot for .NET projects. Back then it was pretty new for quite some developers.

I even showed how you can make ChatGPT be rude toward a notoriously rude recruiter. We practiced our presentation more than four or five times, receiving invaluable feedback from colleagues, interns, and trainees.

Basing your presentation on real-world projects make them highly relatable for the audience. Each practice round gave us more and more constructive feedback, which allowed us to improve our session.

Embrace every practice session as a chance to fine-tune your delivery, experimenting with different approaches based on real-life experiences and scenarios. By integrating these hands-on experiments into your preparation, you can craft talks that resonate with your audience, leaving a lasting impression.

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Tip 5: Let Passion Outshine Perfection

In February 2025, I took the stage at DevWorld for my solo talk on local AI tools like Ollama, LM Studio, and Continue.dev — a genuinely passionate topic.

I prepared extensively with the support of trainees and colleagues, rehearsing and iterating my demos. While there were no demo glitches, the unpredictable nature of LLMs kept the audience engaged. I even showcased earlier tryouts of conversational demos to highlight the evolution of my work.

Preparation is key. Don’t stress if things don’t go as planned — most people won’t know your original plan. Plan for failure, be ready for unexpected twists and remember that passion will always outshine a quest for flawless perfection.

You can find my presentation dw2025.byrayray.dev

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Your Turn to Start

Every stumble — from mixing up media queries to facing unexpected questions — has shaped the speaker I am today.

My journey wasn’t about flawless delivery; it was about taking that first step, learning from each experience, and letting my passion lead the way.

If you’re hesitating to give that first talk, remember: your voice matters, and every mistake is a stepping stone toward improvement.

Ready to take the plunge?

What’s your funniest speaking fail? Share your story below, and let’s learn from each other — after all, every great speaker once started with a shaky first step!