Web 2.0 Expo NY 09: Scott Berkun, "Confessions of a Public Speaker"

Summary

The speaker, an author and public speaker, shares insights on the timeless nature of communication despite technological advancements. He highlights the importance of storytelling in various mediums, from public speaking to social media, emphasizing the human element that technology cannot replace. Drawing from his experiences at Internet World and Microsoft, he illustrates the power of authentic connection and the pitfalls of relying solely on technology for communication. The speaker encourages the audience to seek genuine stories and connections at events, rather than passively consuming information, and promotes his new book on public speaking and communication.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker is an author who makes a living by writing books and engaging in public speaking, blogging, and tweeting.
• 📚 The author's new book focuses on public speaking, sharing personal stories and lessons learned from his experiences.
• 🤔 The speaker's background includes studying creative thinking, invention, and innovation, with a book titled 'The Myths of Innovation'.
• 🕰️ Despite technological advancements, certain universal drives, needs, and problems remain constant, which the speaker finds intriguing.
• 🏢 The speaker reminisces about his time at Microsoft, working on Internet Explorer and attending Internet World, highlighting the rapid changes in technology.
• 📈 The speaker emphasizes that public speaking is still crucial even with technological advancements, as it helps in promoting and explaining new ideas.
• ✍️ Writing is an often-overlooked technology that remains fundamental in communication across various platforms like blogs, emails, and social media.
• 🍻 The speaker mentions 'beer and booths' as timeless social media technologies that facilitate networking and communication at events.
• 📖 Storytelling is key in all communication mediums, and it's the responsibility of the individual to infuse authenticity and value into their stories.
• 💡 Authenticity in communication is crucial; the speaker shares personal anecdotes to illustrate the impact of genuine interaction and storytelling.
• 🚫 The speaker argues that technology cannot solve all communication problems, such as misinterpretation and miscommunication, which are fundamentally human issues.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's new book?

The main theme of the speaker's new book is public speaking, drawing from his experiences and lessons learned from his career as an author and public speaker.

Why did the speaker choose to write about public speaking?

The speaker chose to write about public speaking because he has been doing it for the last seven years as part of his career as an author, and he believes he can share valuable insights and lessons from his experiences.

What is the speaker's background in the technology field?

The speaker has a background in technology, having worked on Internet Explorer at Microsoft in the early '90s, where he was a project manager on the development team.

What historical book did the speaker write in 2007?

The speaker wrote a book in 2007 called 'The Myths of Innovation', which focused on the history of innovation, creative thinking, and the true stories behind the myths often portrayed in media.

What is the speaker's perspective on the importance of storytelling in communication?

The speaker believes that storytelling is central to communication, regardless of the technology used. He emphasizes that the ability to tell a good, authentic, and moving story is something that technology cannot provide; it must come from the individual.

Why did the speaker and his colleague decide to engage with people in the exhibition hall during Internet World in 1997?

The speaker and his colleague decided to engage with people in the exhibition hall because they felt it would be more effective to proactively approach interested individuals rather than passively wait for them to come to their booth.

What was the speaker's realization after engaging with people at the exhibition hall?

The speaker realized that when people understood he was not a salesperson but someone who was involved in the development process, they became more interested and engaged in the conversation, valuing the authenticity and insight he could provide.

What is the speaker's view on the role of technology in communication?

The speaker believes that while technology can facilitate communication, it cannot replace the human element of storytelling and authentic connection. He suggests that the failures in communication are often due to human issues rather than technological shortcomings.

What advice does the speaker give for improving communication at events like the one he is speaking at?

The speaker advises to humanize connections by asking for stories instead of allowing scripted responses. He suggests sharing your own story and asking how the technology can solve your problem, which encourages authentic and meaningful interactions.

What is the title of the speaker's new book, and when was it released?

The title of the speaker's new book is not explicitly mentioned in the transcript, but it is about public speaking and storytelling. It was released a few days before the event he is speaking at.

What is the speaker's view on the use of social media and the importance of authenticity?

The speaker criticizes the practice of retweeting or passing on information without having read or understood it, arguing that it lacks authenticity and integrity. He advocates for sharing information that one truly believes has value.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Public Speaking and the Evolution of Technology

The speaker begins by acknowledging the challenge of public speaking, especially when sandwiched between a break, and promises brevity. They introduce themselves as an author who writes books and engages in various online activities to support their work. The popularity of their books has led to numerous public speaking opportunities, which inspired their latest book on the subject. The speaker reflects on the enduring nature of public speaking despite technological advancements and draws a parallel with the history of Internet World events. They also delve into the historical context of the event's venue, the Jacob Javit Center, and the technological shifts since the 1990s, such as the transition from dial-up to broadband internet. The speaker emphasizes the timeless aspects of human needs and problems, which persist regardless of new technology, and sets the stage for discussing storytelling as a universal human activity.

05:01

📚 The Overlooked Importance of Storytelling in Communication

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the enduring relevance of three seemingly outdated technologies: public speaking, writing, and social media technologies like beer and booths. They argue that despite the ubiquity and perceived simplicity of these methods, they are still fundamental to human connection and communication. The speaker shares a personal anecdote from 1997 about engaging with attendees at Internet World, which led to authentic conversations and a deeper understanding of the importance of storytelling in communication. They stress that technology alone cannot convey a good story; it requires the human element of authenticity and personal connection. The speaker also addresses common communication pitfalls, such as misinterpretation and the tendency to pass on information without fully understanding it, which they attribute to human shortcomings rather than technological flaws.

10:02

🤝 The Human Side of Technology and the Power of Authenticity

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of the human side of technology and the need for authentic communication. They suggest that the technologies available at events like the one being attended can only facilitate so much, and it is up to the individuals to take the initiative to connect and share stories genuinely. The speaker encourages attendees to ask for the best stories at booths rather than settling for scripted responses, as a way to foster meaningful connections. They also reference a quote by Pen Gallette, highlighting that the real challenge is keeping up with the human side of technology, which is not something that technology itself can solve. The speaker invites the audience to check out their new book, which focuses on storytelling as a core method of communication, and to join them at an upcoming event for further discussions.

Keywords

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking is the act of addressing an audience in a formal setting. In the video's context, it is a central theme as the speaker discusses his experiences and lessons learned from being a public speaker and author. The speaker mentions that despite technological advancements, the art of public speaking remains crucial for conveying ideas and persuading others, as evidenced by his decision to write a book about it.

💡Creative Thinking

Creative thinking refers to the process of generating new ideas or concepts in an original and imaginative way. The speaker highlights his background in studying creative thinking, invention, and innovation, which has led him to recognize the importance of timeless and universal elements in these processes. The video underscores the idea that while technology changes, the core human drive to innovate and think creatively persists.

💡Internet World

Internet World was a prominent event focused on web development and internet-related topics in the 1990s. The speaker references this event to illustrate the drastic changes in internet technology over the years, such as the shift from dial-up to broadband. The mention of Internet World serves to highlight the rapid evolution of the tech industry and the enduring need for effective communication within it.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in the video refers to the genuine and sincere nature of communication and storytelling. The speaker recounts a personal story from Internet World where he engaged directly with attendees, providing them with authentic insights into the development of Internet Explorer. This experience underscored the value of authentic interactions, which can be more impactful than scripted or insincere communication.

💡Storytelling

Storytelling is the art of narrating stories to engage an audience and convey a message or theme. The speaker emphasizes the importance of storytelling across various mediums, whether it's through speaking, writing, or social media. The video's message is that regardless of the technology used, the skill of storytelling is essential to connect with others and share meaningful experiences.

💡Technology Breakthroughs

Technology breakthroughs refer to significant advancements or innovations in technology that have a transformative impact. The speaker discusses the paradox of technological progress, noting that while our gadgets and tools become more powerful, the fundamental human elements of communication and connection remain constant. The video suggests that breakthroughs are important, but the human side of technology is equally, if not more, significant.

💡Miscommunication

Miscommunication is the failure to convey or understand a message accurately. The speaker uses the example of email communication, where recipients may only read the first sentence or make assumptions about the content, leading to confusion and misunderstandings. The video highlights that miscommunication is a human problem, not a technological one, and it can occur in any medium.

💡Social Media

Social media is a term used to describe websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The speaker critiques the practice of retweeting or sharing content without fully engaging with it, suggesting that this behavior lacks authenticity. The video implies that social media, while a powerful tool, can be misused if it does not facilitate genuine communication.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the introduction of new methods, ideas, or products. The speaker's previous work focused on the history of innovation, examining the stories and lessons from inventors like Da Vinci and Edison. The video connects innovation with storytelling, suggesting that understanding the narratives behind inventions can provide valuable insights and inspire future creative endeavors.

💡Human Side

The 'human side' in the video refers to the emotional, relational, and personal aspects of communication and interaction that technology cannot replace. The speaker quotes Pen Gallette, emphasizing that it's not just about technological advancements but also about keeping up with the human side of communication. The video argues that no matter how advanced technology becomes, the need for human connection and authentic storytelling remains paramount.

Highlights

The speaker is an author who makes a living by writing books and supporting them through blogging, tweeting, and public speaking.

The author's new book focuses on public speaking, sharing horror stories and lessons learned from personal experiences.

The author's work revolves around creative thinking, invention, and innovation, with a historical perspective on these topics.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of storytelling in various mediums, including technology, writing, and social media.

Despite technological advancements, the core human drives, needs, and problems remain timeless and universal.

The speaker recounts his experience at Internet World in 1997, highlighting the drastic changes in internet technology since then.

Lecturing and public speaking have remained consistent despite technological advancements, indicating their timeless nature.

Writing, as a form of communication, is often overlooked but remains a crucial technology in various digital platforms.

Social media technology, such as beer and booths, serves as a social lubricant to facilitate connections and communication.

Authenticity in storytelling is key to humanizing connections, regardless of the medium used.

The speaker shares a personal story from 1997 about engaging with attendees at Internet World, emphasizing the power of direct interaction.

Technology cannot replace the human element in communication; it can only facilitate it.

Miscommunication is a human problem, not a technological one, and it requires human solutions.

The speaker critiques the habit of retweeting information without reading it, calling for more authenticity in digital communication.

The speaker encourages attendees to seek out authentic stories and connections during the event, rather than relying solely on technology.

The author's new book, which focuses on storytelling and communication, was recently released and will be discussed at an upcoming event.

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of taking personal responsibility for effective communication and storytelling.

Transcripts

good afternoon so I know I am in a

precarious public speaking situation I

am all that stands between you and the

break so I be brief I have about 12 or

14 actually it says I have zero I have

no time thank you thank you that was

great so I have about 15 minutes of

stories I'm going to tell you about uh

some of it's from my new book but a lot

of it has to do with public speaking and

how that ties to a lot of the stuff I've

heard talk talked about already today

and and at web 20

Expo so this book that I just wrote I'm

an author I actually make a living as an

author I write books for a living and I

blog and I tweet and I do a lot of other

things to support the book but uh to

support the books that I write but one

side effect of having books that are

popular is that if you're fortunate

enough to have a popular book is people

want you to come and talk about the book

and talk about ideas from the book and

so since this is what I've been doing

for the last seven years I do a lot of

public speaking simply because I'm a

writer and so when I was thinking about

what to write for my next book I thought

wow let's write a book about public

speaking and I can tell all the horror

stories of things going wrong and all

the disasters that have happened to me

and you can benefit from my mistakes so

the book is largely about all these

things that I've learned but what I

wanted to start talking to you about

today I am going to talk about public

speaking but most of my work the stuff

I've studied for 15 years has to do with

creative thinking and invention and

Innovation and I wrote a book in 2007

called the my of innovation it's a was a

best-selling book and that book is

largely about what's the history what

can we learn from all the things that we

think happened what were the actual

stories that we can pull out of those

events what were in Da Vinci's actual

journals and Edison's journals and what

were the true stories behind the myths

that often end up in movies and in films

and how can we apply that to stuff that

we do so I know a lot about history and

technology and invention and creative

thinking but one side effect of studying

this stuff for so long

and understanding that whole tree of

history and lessons and tactics is that

there's another path that's become

apparent to me that's even more

interesting possibly more interesting

and that's the stuff that doesn't change

the stuff that's Timeless the stuff

that's Universal the universal drives

and needs and questions and problems

that even though we have so much new

technology that's great and fantastic

there are still these things that Linger

on that haven't changed so the first

story I wanted to tell you has to do

with this building the Jacob Javit

Center so 12 years ago I was working at

Microsoft I worked on a product called

Internet Explorer in the early '90s I

worked on version 1 through 5 and I was

a project manager kind of a sergeant

type guy on the development team and

there was internet World internet world

was the premier web development internet

latest happening kind of event so I

thought it'd be interesting to go back a

little bit since you guys are in the

same place that internet World took

place and do a little compare and

contrast so the first thing you should

know whenever you're doing history like

this is there's a way to do sort of

technological carbon dating is you look

at the megahertz in the ads for the

stuff at that time so this is actually

uh on the screens on your they not

behind me it's look over there over

there this this is an ad for internet

World from infoworld magazine which was

actually a printed magazine in 1997 no

longer the case another interesting

thing that you should know about from

that time just to let us know how far

we've come back then in 97 most of the

most of America was dialup they were

dialup Broadband bro di up internet

access users so in the exhibition Hall

at internet World there was probably 30

or 35 startup companies that were

focused on dialup and getting around

dialup push technology was in part an

idea for getting around dialup and the

whole idea was this it's going to seem

insane to you but the whole idea was you

could subscribe to websites and download

content at night when the dialup rates

were cheaper and then the next day you

could read the

web bizarre to us today clearly this is

something has changed clearly our

megahertz and our processors is much

better but uh oh that was bad okay one

thing that definitely has not changed

though one technology that is pretty

much the same is the one we're in right

now lecturing public

speaking and I find that fascinating

because if there's any community of

people that's going to move on in terms

of Technology do some do something new

it's going to be us who would find a way

to get over the inefficiencies of having

to be in the same physical place with

all these people at the the same time

it's expensive the logistics are

complicated but this is still what we do

12 years ago there were Keynotes In This

Very Room and I suspect 12 years from

now at the web2 conference or whatever

it would be called there'll be lectures

again and I find this fascinating that

means that any invention or new idea

however great or amazing it is if you're

the person who makes that thing you will

end up talking about it and people will

be convinced to follow or use that thing

in part based on your ability to speak

which is one of the oldest kinds of

technologies that we have

there's others that you should be aware

of that go back in time now writing I

mentioned speaking already writing which

is sort of a poo pooed kind of thing and

as an author I'm I am effectively a

professional writer writing gets

discounted a great deal because it's the

underlying communication medium in

blogging in web pages in email in

Twitter in text messaging and whatever

else comes next will will mostly be

writing and if you pay attention a lot

of people are still really bad at

written communication so we depend on

this technology that we Overlook now

because thousands of years are gone by

and everyone knows how to read and write

but it was an invention at a certain

point then the third technology we

Overlook the social media technology we

Overlook is beer and booths beer and

booths these are social lubrication

technologies that have been around

forever the idea of a booth putting up a

sign that says what you work on and

people come up to you and talk about

that stuff and you give them free kis

and t-shirts or maybe in ancient times

they give them toas or something you

give away free stuff because it it

allows people to find easier path to

communicate and talk and get what is

what you want which is connection you

come to events like this to connect with

new ideas or with new people or new

people about new ideas or new ideas

about new people and on and on it goes

that's really why you're here and all

the stuff is set up to afford that

speaking and writing drinking in the

booth is all set up to afford that stuff

so my first major point for you has to

do with storytelling that in all these

mediums really what we're doing is

storytelling and any technology is

available you can use any technology to

tell a good story the problem is

Technologies don't allow

don't the storytelling skill is not

something a technology can give you you

have to put that in yourself so one

story I want to tell you which is a

personal story goes back to 1997 at

internet world I was working on Internet

Explorer 4 and we were here to talk

about that and on that day we were here

interet Explorer had like 22% market

share which was not very good so instead

of sitting in the booth and being

passive we felt like me and another

program manager said we should go out

into the exhibition Hall let's go talk

to all the people because the people

come to us they're already going to be

interested we should go out there and

this was a crazy idea I was just a kid I

was not a sales professional or anything

I was a manager of software development

so we just did this fluky thing we w we

grabbed a St a stack of CDs and we

walked out there and I discovered that

something amazing happened in these

conversations cuz we would would go up

and say hey I work for Microsoft they go

oh and I say I work in inter Explorer

they go oh and then I'd say hey there's

this let me show you what I worked on

and they go you worked on this and I'd

say yeah and then they start complaining

and I go well let me explain and when I

got to the point where they realized

that I was not a salesperson I was not a

marketing person I was not a For Hire

evangelist but I was actually in the

room when these decisions were made and

I could give them more insight into why

certain things were done and they felt

like they were actually talking to the

real person that the look on their face

changed and there was something

authentic about that moment now I can't

take credit for the market share growth

of in an Explorer my conversations

probably did a lot less than some of the

other things that Microsoft may have

done around that time but um but it

changed me because I realized there

story you can tell a good authentic

honest moving story through any medium

if you're willing to go and do it the

technology of social media the

technology of this event it's a it sets

you up but there's always a step that

you have to take yourself

and I don't think the failures we have

all the stuff we complain about uh

technologically that we point the finger

at technology to why we feel isolated or

why we're frustrated but I think there's

always things that technology cannot do

for us and the more powerful technology

gets the more obvious I think those

things are so another situation another

story I want to tell you is a story that

many you probably experience and that's

a story that goes like this you have a

manager or an executive someone

important to you a client maybe even

your spouse and you carefully craft an

email to make certain points and tell a

certain story and you send it to them

but they have this disease this

neurological dysfunction where they seem

only capable of reading the first

sentence of your

email and they skip the rest but pretend

like they read it and have all these

assumptions they put in their response

and they reply all and then someone else

replies and they're basing it on the

assumptions and then you have to do like

the SWAT team dive into the email thread

to try to recover sanity and it becomes

this huge mess of miscommunication

and as technologist we look at that mess

and go wow this is like all this

communication data and the solution is

to Archive it and come come with a

taxonomy for it and index it and oh we

need a search engine for it and tag

clouds for it and we go hey it's still

kind of messed up but we believe these

are technological problems when I think

it's just a basic level of

miscommunication when people are talking

past each other in any medium that's

dysfunction If instead of listening

you're just waiting for the next moment

to speak that's d function and no

technology can save you from that it's

not a technological problem it's a human

problem and it's a problem of

Storytelling so the the diagnosis is

this is email interrupt us and many

people suffer from this there's no

technology that will ever prevent this

from happening and so when I look at

Twitter I see similar patterns that I

don't blame Twitter for it's not the

Technology's fault when people retweet

stuff that was retweeted to them that

they haven't read and they retweeted on

I think that's a really strange thing to

do it's really an odd thing to do

because what does that mean how can that

be an authentic act to pass on and

distribute something that you don't even

know what it is and it's a common habit

because we feel like volume is good pass

on more volume maybe someone else will

find Value in this but I feel the

opposite way I don't need more random

information I want people to be

authentic and to give me stuff that they

actually believe has value and if they

haven't read the thing or they skimmed

it or they're assuming what it is that

can't possibly be authentic there's not

a whole lot of integrity and that kind

of use of any media of any story of any

data or any information to just pass it

on and so Coan Luke is one of my

favorite films there's a there's a it's

a great film there's AO a line from that

film that gets repeated a lot uh what we

have here is a failure to communicate

and in the in the movie It's the boss

guy the uh the the prison Warden guy and

he says this to Luke right before he has

one of his goons beat the crap out of

him and it's kind of a metaphorical

problem here that his idea of

communication is punishment and you will

be punished if you don't do what I say

that's not communication that that's

abuse that's that's that's a a

misconstruction of what communication

actually is supposed to

be so the last story I want to tell you

has to do with um has to do with you

really so you're here at this event

because there things you want to learn

there's things you want to know there

are connections you want to make there's

ideas you want to discover and the

technologies that are provided to us

here in this format can only get you so

far just like I said before storytelling

is up to us we have to go and decide

that we're going to take that last last

step and humanize it and add your own

story to things and I'm convinced that

uh one of the reasons why I'm here in

front of you is because of this this

quote which I read years ago while I was

still working at Microsoft that we like

to focus on technology breakthroughs but

pen gallette who uh from pen and tell

had this to say which is you know the

isn't the technology breakthroughs it's

that we we're not keeping up The Human

Side is not keeping up we've lost our

ability to connect through some of these

mediums we fail to take responsibility

for what we have to do to make those

stories come through and it's never

something that technolog is going to

come around and do for us so a trick a

little tactic that you can use because

we're going into the break we have a

minute or two to go we're almost there

you're going into the break instead of

allowing yourself to fall into these

patterns think about stories when you go

up to the Booth don't allow them to give

you the whole scripted routine that

they've done a million times say what's

your best story what's the best story

you've heard of someone using this thing

for value or tell them your story hey I

have this problem I'm trying to solve

can your technology solve that for me

that's a story that's a much better way

to actually humanize connections and get

the things that you came here to

get so the last thing I want to say so

this is this is the book it just came

out it's actually brand new it came out

like two or three days ago and if you

like this one way of thinking about

speaking and communication that

storytelling is really the core way that

we get what we want that we communicate

and connect then I hope that you'll

check out the book and in about a half

hour at the O'Reilly booth at 4:00

there's this big confab of O'Reilly

authors and your favorite O'Reilly

author will probably be there and we'll

be talking about all kinds of stuff and

having a few using the drinking

technology I mentioned before we'll be

in the booth that's the second one I'll

be speaking there as the third we'll be

having a whole great conversation and I

hope you come down and uh tell me some

of your best stories thank you for

listening thank you