Speak on a Stage and Actually Mean It

Most people want to get on a stage because they want the applause. They want the cool photo for their Instagram feed where they look like a visionary against a dark background with blue stage lights. But if you are an underestimated founder, someone the mainstream VC world usually looks past, you do not have time for vanity. You do not have time to fly to a conference just for a free lunch and a lanyard.

I have been on a lot of stages. I have spoken at the White House, at major tech conferences, and at universities. I have used those stages to build my businesses and to advocate for Black and Brown founders who are building the future. When I stand at the podium, I am not just there to talk. I am there to move the needle. You should be too. If you are going to open your mouth, you need to actually mean it. You need to provide value that sticks, and you need to get paid for your time and expertise.

The Stage Is a Business Asset

Public speaking is not a hobby. It is a part of your marketing and brand strategy. When you are on a stage, you are holding the attention of a room full of people for twenty to sixty minutes. In the digital world, that kind of sustained attention is nearly impossible to buy. You have to treat every minute like a pitch. No, you are not pitching your product for sixty minutes. That is boring and everyone will check their phones. You are pitching your perspective.

Underestimated founders often have a unique vantage point that the tech bros in hoodies do not. We see gaps in the market because we live in the gaps. We solve problems that other people do not even know exist. That perspective is your leverage. When I wrote Build the Damn Thing, I was not just writing a business manual. I was writing a manifesto for people who have been told no by everyone in the room. When I go to the keynote stage now, I am carrying that message with me. I am showing the audience that the way things have always been done is not the only way.

Every time you speak, you should have a goal. Is it to get more users? Is it to find investors? Is it to build your authority so people stop questioning your credentials? If you do not know why you are there, the audience won't either.

Crafting a Talk That Travels

If you want people to book you, you need a talk that people remember. Most corporate talks are forgettable. They are filled with jargon and slides that have too much text. Nobody wants to see another pie chart about synergy. They want a story. They want to know how you survived the moments when everything was falling apart.

I call this building a talk that travels. A talk travels when someone in the audience goes back to their office and tells three people about what you said. To make a talk travel, you need a hook. You need one central idea that is easy to repeat. In my work, that idea is often centered around the fact that you do not need permission to be great. You just need to start.

Stop trying to be perfect. Perfect is boring. People connect with the struggle. Tell them about the time you had fifty dollars in your bank account and still had to lead a team meeting. Tell them about the pivot that almost killed your company. When you are vulnerable and honest, you build trust. Trust is the foundation of every business transaction. If they trust your story, they will trust your product.

Finding Your Way Into the Room

How do you get the first gig? You start where you are. You do not need to wait for a call from TED. You can start with local meetups, industry webinars, or even your own platform. I talk about the mechanics of building a platform a lot on the Build the Damn Thing podcast because your platform is what makes you undeniable.

When you are starting out, you might have to speak for free to get the footage. You need a video of yourself speaking. Event organizers are risk averse. They want to see that you can handle a crowd and that you do not freeze up under the lights. Get a friend to record your next presentation. It does not have to be a professional film crew. Just make sure the audio is clear and we can see your face. Once you have that reel, you can start pitching.

Do not just cold email conference organizers with a generic Hello. Do your research. Look at who they booked last year. If they only booked white men in vests, tell them why their audience is missing out by not hearing from a founder who understands a different demographic. Frame it as a service to their audience, not a favor to you. You are bringing them the insight they do not have.

Know Your Worth and Get the Check

We need to talk about the money. There is a weird thing that happens where people think that because you are an underrepresented founder, you should be happy just to be in the room. They will offer you exposure. You cannot pay your developers with exposure. You cannot pay your rent with a social media shoutout.

Once you have established your expertise, you should be getting paid. I am blunt about this because too many of us are shamed into working for free. If a conference has a budget for a fancy venue and a heavy catering bill, they have a budget for speakers. If they say they do not have a budget, ask them what they are offering instead. Are they giving you a booth in the expo hall? Are they giving you access to their full attendee list for lead generation? If it is just a free ticket to the event, that usually is not enough.

Being a professional speaker means treating it like a business. Have a contract. Have a clear list of what you need, like travel expenses, a hotel, and your fee. When you act like a professional, they treat you like one. If you are nervous about asking for money, remember that you are not just asking for yourself. You are setting the market rate for the founders who come after you.

Delivering the Goods

When you actually get on that stage, your job is to command the room. This does not mean you have to be the loudest person. It means you have to be the most present. Look at the people in the back. Make eye contact with the person who looks like they are having a rough day. Talk to them, not at them.

Structure your talk with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start with a story that grabs their attention. Move into the meat of your message, the three or four points you want them to take away. End with a call to action. Do not just say thank you and walk off. Tell them exactly what you want them to do next. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Do you want them to buy your product? Give them a direction.

I have seen too many founders give a brilliant talk and then fail to capture the momentum. Have a landing page ready. Have a QR code on your final slide. Make it as easy as possible for people to stay connected with you. You are building a community, not just a list of followers.

The Aftermath of the Mic Drop

What you do after the talk is just as important as what you do on the stage. The stage is the top of the funnel. Once the talk is over, you will probably have a line of people wanting to talk to you. This is the gold. These are your potential partners, customers, and mentors.

Listen to what they say. What questions are they asking? If ten people ask the same question after your talk, that is a sign that you should address it in your next presentation or write a blog post about it. Their feedback is the best market research you can get.

Keep track of who you meet. Get business cards or scan their LinkedIn profiles. Follow up within 48 hours. A simple message saying it was great to meet you at the conference goes a long way. Most people won't do this. Most people will go back to their hotel room, order room service, and forget about the connections they made. If you want to build a real business, you have to do the follow-up work.

Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever

The startup world is crowded and noisy. There are a lot of people saying the same thing over and over. They are using the same templates and following the same rules. But those rules were not written for us. They were written for a small group of people in a few zip codes.

When you stand on a stage and speak your truth, you are disrupting that system. You are showing that there is another way to build, another way to lead, and another way to succeed. You are giving permission to every other underestimated person in the room to do the same.

Public speaking is a tool for power. It is a way to take up space in rooms where we were once told we didn't belong. Do not take that lightly. Prepare for it. Value it. And for the love of everything, make sure you are getting paid for it. Your story is an asset. Your time is a resource. Use both wisely.

You have something to say that no one else can say. You have a vision that no one else can see. The stage is waiting for you. Now go out there and actually mean it.