[Syzygies]

Six weeks before my thesis defense, I gave a talk at MIT's combinatorics seminar on Grobner bases.

We came up with an abstract intended to attract computer scientists. I was a bit naive about complexity analysis. The computer scientists came, were quite generous and kind to me as a graduate student who didn't know, but they were out for blood when it came to protecting basic concepts.

I was asked to explain algebraic geometry to complete beginners, to set the stage for my talk. At the same time, an algebraic geometry seminar was to meet down the hall. The speaker was from the university that had just hired me. Two attendees drew this ridiculous conclusion that my efforts to computerize algebraic geometry might be the future. They convinced the organizers to postpone the algebraic geometry seminar so that they could attend my talk.

80 or so of the world's 300 experts in algebraic geometry showed up with nothing to do for an hour. Guess what they did? We had to move my room, so they could hear me explain algebraic geometry to complete beginners.

Yes I felt ill afterwards.

[pbronez]

Organizing an excellent event is hard. There's fundamental uncertainty about what each presenter will say, and what the audience needs to hear. The best you can do is try to think of a high quality theme, get good abstracts from your speakers, and cobble together an agenda tries to cater to your audience. From there, it's a crap shoot.

Don't beat yourself up. You were in a no-win scenario. Honestly, the best option might have been to go COMPLETELY off script. Admit to your audience that they know more than you about the core subject. Just give that to them. Then talk about why you find the subject interesting, and how it relates to your work. Maybe even open it up to a Q&A with the expectation that you'll look kinda dumb but learn a lot.

Of course, I've stayed far away from academia, so what do I know.

[Syzygies]

Yes. In the years since I've learned that it is better to go off script. Preparation is so one can react, like a tennis match.

After that trial by fire, I've been comfortable before audiences of a thousand multiple times. Once, asked how I became the math consultant for "A Beautiful Mind", I looked out and managed to sell "Every audience is an audience of one".

For anxiety, it helps to remember that public speaking is a cultural ritual. It's not about you, you're playing a role.

When one gives academic job talks, most professors in the room don't understand your subject. What they can tell is whether you listen to questions. How well you answer questions is everyone's best gauge as to how smart you are. If the people who know you are already on your side, the talk itself is a Macguffin. Be truly present at each question, consider it honestly.

[sheikheddy]

> Once, asked how I became the math consultant for "A Beautiful Mind", I looked out and managed to sell "Every audience is an audience of one".

Wait, are you Dave Bayer?

[tshanmu]

HN ftw

[pcurve]

I don’t know you but I can relate to the feeling. That’s still awesome and I’m sure you nailed it

[pyuser583]

Wow. I’m so sorry.