Schmonzcast #13: I've attended (and spoken at) more than a few instances of pkgsrcCon, but I'd never attended a full-on costs-money big-crowd software development conference until two weeks ago. Perhaps counterintuitively, the first thing I did there was an all-day Speaker Workshop. While the air at the hotel was thick with code, what was fresh on my mind was the pain of meticulously planning and presenting half-hour talks at work every week for the past couple months. I wanted to know how it might get easier. The instructor, Leon Gersing, combined a background in theater with perceptive, intuitive teaching. I came away much more aware of what to work on. (For example: my personality is slightly goofy in a way that, once I'm comfortable enough in front of a crowd for it to show through, probably works in my favor.) And when Corey Haines organized a session of lightning talks two days later, I decided to get right to work, then and there (or watch on YouTube). Given the format, I like how it went; for next year's CodeMash, I plan to submit a full-length talk proposal.