One Knight in Product

How to Present Yourself (And Why You Should) (with Danielle Barnes & Christina Wodtke, Authors of "Present Yourself")

Christina Wodtke and Danielle Barnes join me to talk about their new book "Present Yourself" and their work with Women Talk Design, an organisation aimed at increasing diversity in public speaking. We went deep on public speaking, the importance of authenticity, storytelling, and finding your unique voice as a speaker. We also talked about the value of diverse perspectives in public speaking and the power of sharing personal stories to connect with audiences.
Key takeaways:
 
1. It's important to embrace your unique voice
Don't try to fit a stereotypical mould of a "good speaker" - authenticity resonates more with audiences.
2. Before you start speaking, make sure you know your "why"
Everyone has their own motivation for public speaking, and anyone can fall in love with it if they're doing it for a reason they care about.
3. Share your unique perspective with the world
Even if you feel that other people are already talking about your topic, or that it's all been said before, go and say it anyway. You're the only you.
4. Humans are hardwired to respond to stories
You can make your presentations more engaging and memorable by incorporating stories, even in stuffy business settings. Your audience will thank you for it.
5. It doesn't matter if you're talking to a big crowd, as long as you're talking to the right crowd
You don't need to be a big name to make a big impact. You just need to find the people who need to hear what you have to say. You can still make a difference.
6. Everyone has a bad talk but this is fine as long as you learn from the experience
Every speaking opportunity is a learning experience. Some of them will go great, some of them will go terribly, but you can learn something from all of them.
Check out "Present Yourself"
"Present Yourself is for everyone who has ever fought for an equal shot at the spotlight. Christina Wodtke, Danielle Barnes, and a diverse group of accomplished speakers share stories that will inspire you to communicate with authority. This self-guided, step-by-step framework features practical, actionable advice for authentic and effective public speaking."
Check it out on Amazon or the book website.
Contact Danielle & Christina
Catch up with Danielle on LinkedIn or check out Women Talk Design.
Catch up with Christina on LinkedIn or check out Elegant Hack for details of all the other books she's written.
Related episodes you should like:
Diving into the Deep End as a Woman in Product (Darby Maloney, Product Manager @ Divvy & Occasional Swimming Pool User)
Closing the Gender Pay Gap and Hiring Diverse Product Teams (Chris Mason, Co-Founder @ Intelligent People)
Standing Up for Diversity & Inclusion When No One Looks Like You (Merina Khanom, Product Manager @ BBC iPlayer)
Maintaining a Collaborative & Inclusive Product Culture at Scale (Anna Curzon, CPO @ Xero)
Defeating Bias, Prejudice and Bullying in the Workplace (Kim Scott, Author "Radical Candor" & "Just Work")
Building Your Product Muscles & Developing Strong Product Teams (Petra Wille, Product Leadership Coach)
Product Management in Africa & Dreams of an African Silicon Valley (Layo Ogunbanwo, Founder @ Practical Product)
Building Data Driven Products & Dodging Unsolicited Advice (Emily Reid, Product Manager @ FCT)

Mark Gray's Hot Take - We Shouldn't Be Prioritising By Effort (with Mark Gray, Senior Product Manager @ Nexford University)

Mark Gray is a product manager with nearly 12 years of experience across various roles in the UK and Europe. He has worked in both B2B and B2C sectors, progressing from delivery-focused product owner roles to more strategic product management and leadership positions.
His hot take? Product managers should stop defaulting to prioritisation through value divided by effort, which he argues can stifle innovation. Value and effort aren't unimportant, but they're just part of the puzzle. He believes the path to deciding what to build next should emerge from discussions with smart, diverse teams, focusing on the desired outcomes and business goals.
Find Mark on LinkedIn.
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
Related episodes you should like:
OKRs: The Gateway Drug to Agility & Good Product Management (Jeff Gothelf, Product Management Consultant & Co-author "Lean UX" )
Adventures in Product Management (Dan Olsen, Author "The Lean Product Playbook")
Fighting Fires in B2B Product Management (Rich Mironov, Author "The Art of Product Management")
Your Product is a Joke - How to use Improv Comedy Principles in Product Management (Amogh Sarda, Co-founder @ Eesel)
Putting Customers at the Heart of your Product Decisions (Hubert Palan, Founder @ Productboard)
Servitising Product Management & Setting Up Product Teams For Success (Jas Shah, Product Consultant)
Jordan Dalladay's Hot Take - We Should Build Roadmaps Of Risks, Not Features (Jordan Dalladay, Product Consultant @ inherent ventures)
Build Better Products at Scale with Product Operations (Melissa Perri & Denise Tilles, Product Consultants & Co-authors "Product Operations")

Jordan Dalladay's Hot Take - We Should Build Roadmaps Of Risks, Not Features (with Jordan Dalladay, Product Consultant @ inherent ventures)

Jordan Dalladay is a product strategist and leader who works with startup founders to help them turn ambitious ideas into market successes. He specializes in "dragging a vision kicking and screaming into reality" with his consultancy, inherent ventures.
His hot take? We should invert our approach to product roadmapping. Instead of listing features to build, create a "risk-based product strategy" that outlines all the assumptions and potential pitfalls that could prevent success. This approach helps teams prioritize learning and experimentation, validating their riskiest assumptions first and dragging their vision into reality more effectively.
Find Jordan on LinkedIn and you can check out his firm, inherent ventures.
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
Related episodes you should like:
OKRs: The Gateway Drug to Agility & Good Product Management (Jeff Gothelf, Product Management Consultant & Co-author "Lean UX" )
Adventures in Product Management (Dan Olsen, Author "The Lean Product Playbook")
Fighting Fires in B2B Product Management (Rich Mironov, Author "The Art of Product Management")
Your Product is a Joke - How to use Improv Comedy Principles in Product Management (Amogh Sarda, Co-founder @ Eesel)
Putting Customers at the Heart of your Product Decisions (Hubert Palan, Founder @ Productboard)
Servitising Product Management & Setting Up Product Teams For Success (Jas Shah, Product Consultant)
Build What Matters with Vision-Led Product Management (Rajesh Nerlikar, Author "Build What Matters")
Build Better Products at Scale with Product Operations (Melissa Perri & Denise Tilles, Product Consultants & Co-authors "Product Operations")

Chris Butler's Hot Take - Product Managers DON'T Need to be Technical (with Chris Butler, Staff Product Operations Manager @ GitHub)

Chris Butler is a "Chaotic Good Product Manager" who has worked for companies like Microsoft, Google and Facebook. He's currently Staff Product Operations Manager at GitHub, and current running an online course on AI Product Design Patterns.
His hot take? That product managers don't need to be technical and that it might even be a net negative to their relationship with the engineering team.
Find Chris on LinkedIn and remember to check out his AI product course, "AI Product Design Patterns" .
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
A message from this episode's sponsor - Leadfeeder
This episode is sponsored by Leadfeeder. No more not knowing who’s coming to your website, convert more leads and get a free trial at Leadfeeder.com: Check out Leadfeeder here.
Related episodes you should like:
Survive the Feature Factory by Applying Product Thinking to Product Thinking (John Cutler, Product Evangelist & Coach @ Amplitude)
The Five Dysfunctions of Product Management Teams (Saeed Khan, Founder @ Transformation Labs)
Practice Makes Perfect: Embracing the Messy Reality of Product Management (Matt LeMay, Product Management Consultant & Author "Product Management in Practice")
May Wong's Hot Take - Product Management is a Team Sport (May Wong, Product Operations Consultant & Coach)
Dean Peters' Hot Take - There's More to be Said About the Instagram-ification of Product Management (Dean Peters, Principal Consultant & Trainer @ Productside)
Applying Product Management Principles to Life (Miloš Belčević, Author "Build Your Way")
Product Processes & the Importance of Work / Life Balance (Busayomi Omotosho, Product Manager @ Softcom)
Jeremy Kirouac's Hot Take - Founders Need Product Management Training (Jeremy Kirouac, Fractional Product Leader)

Jeremy Kirouac's Hot Take - Founders Need Product Management Training (with Jeremy Kirouac, Fractional Product Leader)

Jeremy Kirouac is a "Pan-Canadian" product leader and former startup founder who has thrown himself headlong into the world of fractional product leadership, as well as helping advise companies in all things product-related.
His hot take? That startup founders live in information bubbles that concentrate solely on revenue and don't spend enough time teaching them good product management fundamentals. This impacts their chances of building a good product company and impacts their relationship with product management teams as they scale.
Find Jeremy all over Canada, or on LinkedIn.
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
Related episodes you should like:
Moving Beyond Founder-Led Product Development & Setting PMs up for Success (Jennifer Yang-Wong, VP of Product @ Contrary)
Build Products Businesses Want with the Lean B2B Pyramid (Étienne Garbugli, Author "Lean B2B", "Find your Market" and "Solving Product")
Your Product is a Joke - How to use Improv Comedy Principles in Product Management (Amogh Sarda, Co-founder @ Eesel)
Chris Locke's Hot Take - Product Leaders Need to Adopt a VC Mindset (Chris Locke, CEO @ Aspire)
Upping Your Odds of BEATING the LinkedIn Algorithm (Ivana Todorovic, CEO @ AuthoredUp)
Greg Prickril's Hot Take - AI is going to change everything for Product Managers (Greg Prickril, B2B Product Management Coach, Consultant & Trainer)
May Wong's Hot Take - Product Management is a Team Sport (May Wong, Product Operations Consultant & Coach)
Dean Peters' Hot Take - There's More to be Said About the Instagram-ification of Product Management (Dean Peters, Principal Consultant & Trainer @ Productside)

Chris Locke's Hot Take - Product Leaders Need to Adopt a VC Mindset (with Chris Locke, CEO @ Aspire)

Chris Locke is a long-time product leader who has taken his passion for educating product managers into his agency, Aspire, with which he aims to help product teams bridge the skills gap and equip them with the skills and resources to build products customers love.
His hot take? That product leaders need to adopt the mindset of Venture Capitalists to truly drive growth through their product initiatives; placing a series of bets, backed by data, with clear stage gates for decision-making and adopting a portfolio approach to product prioritisation.
Find Chris on LinkedIn and remember to check out his training company, Aspire.
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
A message from this episode's sponsor - Leadfeeder
This episode is sponsored by Leadfeeder. No more not knowing who’s coming to your website, convert more leads and get a free trial at Leadfeeder.com: Check out Leadfeeder here.
Related episodes you should like:
Moving Beyond Founder-Led Product Development & Setting PMs up for Success (Jennifer Yang-Wong, VP of Product @ Contrary)
Paying Off Your Organisation's Human Debt Through Agility & Psychological Safety (Duena Blomstrom, Founder & CEO @ People Not Tech)
Fearlessly Defeating the Four Horsemen of a Product-Friendly Culture (Eisha Armstrong, Co-founder @ Vecteris & Author "Productize" & "Fearless")
Greg Prickril's Hot Take - AI is going to change everything for Product Managers (Greg Prickril, B2B Product Management Coach, Consultant & Trainer)
May Wong's Hot Take - Product Management is a Team Sport (May Wong, Product Operations Consultant & Coach)
Dean Peters' Hot Take - There's More to be Said About the Instagram-ification of Product Management (Dean Peters, Principal Consultant & Trainer @ Productside)
Build Better Products at Scale with Product Operations (Melissa Perri & Denise Tilles, Product Consultants & Co-authors "Product Operations")
Applying Product Management Principles to Life (Miloš Belčević, Author "Build Your Way")

Upping Your Odds of BEATING the LinkedIn Algorithm (with Ivana Todorovic, CEO @ AuthoredUp)

Ivana Todorovic is the co-founder of AuthoredUp, the "Ultimate LinkedIn Content Creation & Analytics Tool", and wants to help YOU get better at standing out from the crowd and beating the LinkedIn algorithm. We spoke about all things LinkedIn, including the dangers of "engagement pods", whether it matters where you put your links in the post, how to engage with larger accounts, the power of secondary comments, and much, much more. We also spoke about her startup journey, the pros and cons of being reliant on a larger platform, and why she's so happy she bootstrapped rather than seeking VC funding. Check the episode out now!
A message from this episode's sponsor - Leadfeeder
This episode is sponsored by Leadfeeder. No more not knowing who’s coming to your website, convert more leads and get a free trial at Leadfeeder.com: Check out Leadfeeder here.
Episode highlights:
 
1. There's no "Quick Fix" for your LinkedIn profile
Beware snake oil salespeople who claim to be making millions off of their LinkedIn content and are trying to sell you frameworks to be just like them. There's no cookie-cutter approach, the algorithm is changing all the time, and the majority of these people are basically lying about the results you will get and laughing their way to the bank.
2. It's Important to Soft Sell on LinkedIn
Direct sales pitches underperform compared to content that offers value with a subtle call to action. Posts with a soft sell, focusing on the audience’s needs and delivering value without the CTA, perform better. You can't just keep selling things or trying to get people to click links... LinkedIn hates you leaving the platform and they will de-boost your posts.
3. The Pros and Cons of "Link in Comments"
Posts with external links often get down-boosted because LinkedIn wants to keep users on the platform. Adding links in the comments or at the very end of the post is a better strategy, though even this approach reduces post impressions.
4. LinkedIn doesn't want your posts to go viral
However it might look, LinkedIn explicitly prioritises real conversations and interactions rather than people mindlessly sharing clickbait. Concentrate on having real conversations, replying to comments, and replying to the comments on comments. This will boost your own impressions.
5. LinkedIn Blue and Gold Badges are Statistically Meaningless
There's no statistically significant impact on having either of these badges. The badges are just there to make you feel special and keep you coming back to LinkedIn so that they can keep advertising to you. People with blue badges don't obviously have better content than those without, and people with gold badges are just being rewarded for feeding the AI-training hamster wheel.
6. Beware Engagement Pods
Engagement Pods are private groups of people who share their posts with each other so they can game engagement and try to defeat the dreaded algorithm. However, these are super-easy to detect and they show up quickly even to external analysis. There are better ways to win at LinkedIn than paying exorbitant fees to snake oil salespeople.
Contact Ivana
You can catch up with Ivana on LinkedIn or check out AuthoredUp.
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Moving Beyond Founder-Led Product Development & Setting PMs up for Success (Jennifer Yang-Wong, VP of Product @ Contrary)
The Big Pivot to Reinvent Product Management (Yana Welinder, Founder & CEO @ Kraftful)
Nailing your Product/Market Fit Strategy by Focusing on the Mission Critical (Maja Voje, Growth Strategy Expert & Author "Go-To-Market Strategist")
Nailing your Brand Marketing by Embracing your Zone of Genius (Orly Zeewy, Brand Strategy Consultant & Author "Ready, Launch, Brand")
Helping Superhero Startup Founders Stay Away from their Kryptonite (Richard Blundell, Founder @ Vencha & Co-author "The Go To Market Handbook for B2B SaaS Leaders")
Building Great Companies through Community-Led Growth (Lloyed Lobo, Author "From Grassroots to Greatness")

Jenny Wanger's Hot Take - Training Courses Are Useless If You Don't Engage Your Team Afterwards (with Jenny Wanger, Product Consultant & Coach)

Jenny Wanger is a product consultant and coach who loves to educate PMs around the world and is doing just that with her product operations course on Reforge.
Her hot take? Product leaders send their teams off for training but then don't do anything when they come back, and nothing changes. This leads them to question the value of the training, but it's almost never the quality of the training that's at fault, it's what they (don't) do with it.
Find Jenny on LinkedIn and remember to check out her course on Reforge.
If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!
A message from this episode's sponsor - Leadfeeder
This episode is sponsored by Leadfeeder. No more not knowing who’s coming to your website, convert more leads and get a free trial at Leadfeeder.com: Check out Leadfeeder here.
Related episodes you should like:
The Role of Product Management on Truly Agile Development Teams (Allen Holub, Software Architect, Consultant & Outspoken Twitter Agilist)
Survive the Feature Factory by Applying Product Thinking to Product Thinking (John Cutler, Product Evangelist & Coach @ Amplitude)
Escaping the Build Trap with Product Operations and Strong CPOs (Melissa Perri, Product Management Leader, Educator & Author "Escaping the Build Trap")
OKRs: The Gateway Drug to Agility & Good Product Management (Jeff Gothelf, Product Management Consultant & Co-author "Lean UX" )
The Five Dysfunctions of Product Management Teams (Saeed Khan, Founder @ Transformation Labs)
Going Beyond the Dreaded Product Demo and Creating the Perfect Sales Pitch (April Dunford, Author "Obviously Awesome" and "Sales Pitch")
Enabling Strategic Product Decisions through Product Operations and Portfolio Management (Becky Flint, CEO of Dragonboat)
Transforming your Organisation to the Product Operating Model (Marty Cagan, Author "Inspired", "Empowered" and "Transformed")