There are great books available on the internet.
But it's like the difference between reading a recipe and getting down to cooking.
Unless you make a speech in front of a real audience, you'll never know what it actually means.
What the authors tell you will all ring true, but only after you make the actual attempt.
And no, speaking to your reflection in the mirror does not count.
Does everyone need to learn to speak in public?
I would say yes.
It's about learning to put across your point of view in public on a subject or a field you are familiar with.
And when I faced an audience for the first time back in college, I understood the terror.
The extreme nervousness that comes washes across you when there's a sea of faces looking up at you expectantly.
You're torn between two extreme emotions - wanting to be somewhere else altogether and savoring the attention.
One of the first exercises we had was not to speak at all but simply establish eye-contact with the audience. Look directly at people.
It sounds simple but if you've seen the number of speakers who look straight ahead or up at the ceiling, you'll know that they're not connecting to the audience at all.
Good speakers are like actors - they know how to emphasise a point, tell a joke, vary the pitch and the pace of the talk.
Vinay Pushapakaran teaches solo entrepreneurs to do business and is an accomplished public speaker as well.
And he knows how these two tracks are connected at the hip.
You can read a book but there's nothing like practical experience to build capabilities.
Will you feel safe flying without security checks?
We grumble about it all the time.
In the 70s and 80s, flying was a breeze. You could land up at airports about 45 minutes before the flight took off, walk up to counters, check in baggage and be sitting in your seat a few minutes later.
Then, the security protocols became the norm, with hijacking and terrorism strikes in some countries.
Now, no one bats an eyelid having to report 3 hours in advance for an international flight.
We've factored it in and the chances are, we'll feel unsafe if we don't go through those checks.
Wearing masks, at least in public in places where it is not politically charged has again become common practice.
The world looked strangely at Japan before the pandemic where masks were fairly common.
Now, there's a study from MIT which claims that people driving autonomous cars slack off.
Driving demands complete concentration and we know that even at low speeds, we have to watch out for unpredictable idiots.
So, it is strange that people are willing to hand over their safety to an algorithm, even though they're told that they need to override the system in an emergency.
Question is, will we be qualified to do so in future?
As the tech gets better, our driving skills will deteriorate. A whole class of people will treat private vehicles like public transport!
And that isn't a comforting thought.
The reality TV experiment that fizzled
It's make-believe and like WWF. Where people know the fights are staged but like the format anyway.
But Reddit has real-life TV RPAN (Reddit Public Access Network) and users stream directly from their mobile phones (Update - the experiment has shut down) It was the closest thing to real-life TV that any channel or social medium has attempted.
Streams varied from people playing the guitar or the piano, and the top feed got as many as 20-25000 viewers watching live.
A young girl, a prodigy sat at the piano and effortlessly played for over an hour. She had legions of fans who tune in regularly to watch.
These sessions had the feel of sitting around a living room and enjoying the music.
The comments and awards floated up all the time from viewers who are impressed but she took a break only occasionally and flexed her fingers which had been flying over the keyboard minutes earlier.
There were sessions by blacksmiths making hammers in their foundry. Or 'Jhenga' players who stack up the pieces expertly. And potters demonstrating their skill.
Wonderful walks through city neighborhoods. I've watched a couple of them where the camera went into small residential localities, and you could soak in the atmosphere simply by watching.
And cats. How could there not be cats on the internet, effortlessly being cute?
Nothing is scripted. This is life as it happens. Without artful lighting and sometimes, one can even see cardboard boxes in the background or untidy shelves.
Think about it as TV where little happens - but it has a ready audience that laps it up.
Sadly, not anymore, since the network has been discontinued.
Every week, I'll plant a few ideas in your mind on branding, behavior and markets. Triggers for your thoughts. Spread the word to your friends. All you have to do is click the link and enter an email address.
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