New isn’t always better, especially when it comes to conference talks. A number of conferences have a CFP that explicitly looks for “fresh” talks that have never previously been given. My take: practice makes perfect, and repeat talks produces a better experience for attendees

What if it wasn’t a conf talk, but some other public show or activity? Think of your favorite band. If you went to a concert and they only played their ‘new’ unreleased album: you wouldn’t be happy. Think of comedians, performers, motivational speakers, and so on. They don’t write a new talk/joke/whatever every time. Why? Becuase success in speaking is like success in building a program. Build small pieces, test frequently, and iterate often.

How I do conf talks: I write a ton of abstract proposals and submit each year. When a conf accepts one, I submit it to more confs. This ends up with multiple conferences accepting the same talk. I add new content and revise in-between talks. When people ask questions about my material, I build in answers into the talk.

If I’m speaking at a conf, someone paid good money to be there and is taking time out of their day. I don’t want them to be my guinea pig. Most of my material is beta tested before I ever get on a conference stage. User groups, wife, co-workers, dog, anyone who will listen. Think of it this way: if I’m a doctor, would you rather be the first patient to try a new procedure or rather me have some experience?

I’ve given one talk in a few confs, I always get a large audience, and I always get a lot of people asking me engaging questions showing their interest and enthusiasm for the content. I’m constantly surprised by the number of people who are new to some of the concepts I’m talking about. As a teacher, I have to repeat myself really frequently, so I don’t mind doing it a little on the conference level.

I don’t think this is the right approach for all speakers, or all talks. For example if I was to give a keynote it would be a new talk, but I would also practice the mess out of it before giving it too.

That’s my talk philosophy. Turns out I’m not alone:

Some of the best talks I’ve seen like Ben Orenstein’s Refactoring from Good to Great, and Sandi Metz’s Tells Your Future have been polished over multiple conferences. They tell a great story that keeps getting better.

@schneems works for Heroku on the Ruby Buildpack and enjoys giving talks.