I got my first taste of conference speaking this year. Last fall, when my UI concept video got all its coverage, I received a couple of invitations to speak at

I got my first taste of conference speaking this year. Last fall, when my UI concept video got all its coverage, I received a couple of invitations to speak at tech conferences for the spring. It was very intimidating at first, especially as these were overseas. My primary fear was that they assumed I had already founded a startup based around the concept and would have all sorts of practical experience to share, so I talked down my experience with them a bit—but they were still interested, so I agreed to go right ahead! I'd never been abroad before, so I had to do my homework on passports, visas, the Schengen agreement, and so on, while trying to put together something I thought would be of value to the attendees. As the dates drew nearer, I had a number of "I can't believe I'm actually doing this" moments, but I tried to stay confident. In the end, it was more than worth it. The conferences and hosts were great, I got to experience some other cultures, and even though I still have some work to do on presentation rhythm, the audiences were very receptive.