Speaking at TestBash: How I Prepared and What I Learned

Why I had the opportunity to speak

I'd been going to testing conferences for a few years as an attendee. Every time, I'd sit in the audience thinking "I could talk about that" or "I've got a different take on this". But I never did anything about it. Fear of public speaking, imposter syndrome, the usual stuff.

What finally pushed me was my company actually sponsoring the conference so a sponsor talk slot became available, my line manager approached me saying "you are really passionate about the quality chapter passionately, why don't we talk about it on stage?" Sometimes you just need someone to give you a nudge. So I apprehensively agreed to TestBash 2023.

Preparing the talk

We gave ourselves about three months of preparation time. The first month was just thinking. No slides, no script. Just thinking about what story we wanted to tell and what the audience should walk away with.

Month two was structuring. We thought about key points and the story. Until the narrative felt natural. Only then did we start with the slides.

Month three was practice. And by practice I mean rehearsing out loud, alone, in my living room, feeling ridiculous. I did this at least 15 times. Each time I'd trim something, reword something, or realise a section didn't land.

The day itself

Nerves were real. My hands were shaking backstage. But here's what nobody tells you: the moment you start talking, the nerves fade. Your preparation takes over. The audience is on your side. They want you to do well.

The TestBash community is incredibly supportive. People were engaged, asking questions, coming up to chat afterwards. That post-talk buzz is addictive. All the preparation and anxiety was worth it for that feeling.

Tips for first-time speakers

Start with a story, not a slide deck. Figure out what you want to say before you worry about how it looks. The best talks are stories, not slide shows.

Practice out loud. Reading your slides silently is not practice. You need to hear yourself say the words. It feels awkward but it works.

Time yourself. Talks always run shorter on stage than in practice because you speak faster when nervous. If your slot is 30 minutes, aim for 25 in rehearsal.

You don't need to be an expert. You just need to have experienced something and be willing to share what you learned. Authenticity beats authority every time.

Say yes before you feel ready. You will never feel ready. Submit that abstract. The worst that happens is you don't get accepted. The best that happens is you end up on stage doing something you never thought you could.

What's next

Speaking at TestBash gave me confidence I didn't know I had. I'm now looking at other conferences and meetups to contribute to. If you're thinking about speaking, do it. The community needs more diverse voices and real stories from QAs, not just polished talks from people who speak for a living.