Based on Professor Patrick Winston's (MIT) How to Speak methodology Original video:https://youtu.be/Unzc731iCUY Professor Winston passed away in 2019, and this course became his "last lecture", garnering over 15 million views on YouTube Reference materials:
references/patrick-winston-how-to-speak.md
Use cases
| Scenario | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Offline training/workshops | Review outline structure, optimize opening and ending, design interactive segments |
| Bilibili tutorial videos | Optimize script pacing, check loop points, design hooks |
| Tech sharing/meetups | Review speech drafts, check Winston's rules, simulate the audience's perspective |
| PPT/Keynote review | Check slide "crimes", optimize information density |
Core methodology
Winston's success formula
演讲质量 = f(知识, 练习, 天赋)
Talent accounts for very little. What truly determines the quality of a presentation is: how muchknowledgeyou have about speaking (heuristic rules), and how many times youpractice.
1. How to open
Don't open with a joke
The audience is still adjusting when they first arrive—putting away their phones, adjusting their posture, getting used to your voice. Telling a joke at this time can easily fall flat, and a flat joke will affect your confidence for the whole session.
Open with an "Empowerment Promise"
Tell the audience:what they will gain from listening to this. Give them a reason to stay.
Good promises:
- "In the next 30 minutes, you will learn 3 AI programming techniques you can use today"
- "After listening to this, you will know why 90% of people use AI tools the wrong way"
Bad promises:
- "Today I'm here to share my experience with AI programming" (too vague, no sense of value)
- "Hello everyone, I'm Huashu, and I'm very happy to be here" (a pointless opening)
Demand full attention
Humans have only one language processor. If the audience is looking at their phones, theycannot take inwhat you are saying. Worse, people looking at their phones will distract those next to them and also distract the speaker.
During offline training: directly ask them to close their laptops and put down their phones Video scenario: the first 10 seconds must give a strong enough reason for the audience to stay
2. The four core techniques during a presentation
1. Cycling
At any moment, about 20% of the audience is distracted. By repeating the core concept 3 times (in different ways), you ensure everyone can receive the key information.
How to do it: "Tell them what you are going to say → say it to them → tell them what you said"
Application in video scenarios: every 3-5 minutes, tie back to the theme and pull the audience back with one sentence. "So back to our core question—why did the handmade economy suddenly take off?"
2. Build a Fence
Clarify the difference between your idea and others' ideasdifference, to prevent the audience from getting confused.
Method: Clearly state "what I am talking about" and "what I am not talking about"
Examples：
- "The AI programming I'm talking about is not having AI help you write Hello World, but using AI to build a complete product from 0 to 1"
- "This is different from ordinary Prompt Engineering, the difference lies in..."
3. Verbal Punctuation
Provide a chance for distracted audience members to "get back on board." Use clear structural cues so lost audience members know where you are in your talk.
Method：
- "Okay, we've finished the first point. Now let's move on to the second point..."
- "So far we've covered A and B, next is the most crucial C..."
- Use numbering: "First, second, third..."
4. Ask Questions
Asking questions can instantly recapture attention. The key is that after asking, youmust wait。
Waiting time: At least 7 seconds. Don't answer it yourself just because the silence feels awkward.
Question difficulty：
- Too easy → the audience feels insulted
- Too hard → no one dares to answer
- Just right → requires a moment's thought but can be answered
Video scenario: Although the audience can't actually answer, the question creates a pause for thought, which is more effective than giving the answer directly.
III. Time and Place
| Rule | Requirement | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best time | 11 AM | Everyone is awake, not yet drowsy from lunch |
| Lighting | Fully on | Dim light = signal to sleep. "With eyelids closed, you can't see the slides clearly" |
| Scout the location | Arrive early to check | Understand the equipment, light switches, microphone, seating layout |
| Fill the room | Choose a room that will be filled more than half | Too few people makes the atmosphere cold; better to switch to a smaller room |
IV. Tools and Props
Advantages of a blackboard/whiteboard
- Visualization: Convenient for drawing diagrams on the spot to explain
- Pacing control: The speed of writing matches the audience's absorption speed (slides are often too fast)
- A place for your hands: Give your hands something to do, avoiding the awkward posture of putting them in pockets or behind your back
- Empathic mirroring: The audience will mentally simulate your writing movements, creating a deeper sense of participation
The power of props
Props have extremely strong visual memory points. The audience may forget the theory, but they will definitely remember the prop.
Application: When physical objects are involved in the talk, take them out and show them. For example, when talking about "xiaomao fill light", actually take out your phone and demonstrate.
The Seven Deadly Sins of Slides
| Sin | Why it's a problem | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Reading the slides aloud | The audience reads faster than you speak and will get annoyed | Slides are cues, not a script |
| Standing too far from the screen | The audience feels like they're watching tennis, their gaze jumps back and forth | Stand next to the screen |
| Piling up text | Information overload, can't remember anything | Font size ≥40, forcing conciseness |
| Using clip art/logos | Visual noise | Remove all decorations |
| Using a laser pointer | Turning your back to the audience, losing eye contact | Draw arrows on the slide, or use your finger |
| Complex background patterns | Reduces readability | Solid color background |
| Too many bullet points | Each slide too dense | One core idea per slide |
The only exception: Hapax Legomenon
Allowed in the entire presentationOneextremely complex slide. The purpose is not to let the audience see the content clearly, but to demonstrate the problem'scomplexity and scale, establishing authority.
Five, How to Inspire
For beginners/students
Conveying the belief of "you can do it" is more important than teaching specific skills. Make them believe they can do it.
For experienced people
Show yourgenuine passionfor this thing. If you think something is cool, show it. Passion is the strongest form of influence.
Teach people to think rather than teaching knowledge
Winston advocates teaching ways of thinking throughstories. Provide:
- Stories (cases)
- Key questions about the stories
- Analytical frameworks
- Synthesis methods
- Reliability assessment tools
Six, How to End
Things you absolutely should not do
- ❌ Writing "Thank you", "Questions?", or "The End" on the last page — wasting the screen
- ❌ Saying "Thank you all for your time" — implying the audience is only listening out of politeness, putting yourself in a weak position
What you should do
- Clearly signal the end: let the audience know you are about to conclude
- Put "contributions" on the last page: list your core achievements/key points. The Q&A session may last 20 minutes, and the audience will keep looking at your achievements
- Salute the audience (Salute): not thanks, but a salute. Affirm the value of their coming here
- A closing joke is acceptable: this does not contradict "don't open with a joke". By now the audience has adapted to you, and the joke is a condiment
Examples of a good ending：
- "This is all I have to share today. The fact that you are willing to spend this time learning about AI programming shows that you are people who truly want to do something. I look forward to seeing your work."
- "I hope today's sharing can help you avoid some detours. Let's talk again next time."
Seven, Winston's Star: Make your work remembered
If you want your project/product/research to be remembered, you need 5 elements:
| Element | Description | Huashu example |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | A visual icon | The cat icon of the Little Cat Fill Light |
| Slogan | A catchy phrase | "Handmade economy" "Vibe Coding" |
| Surprise | A counterintuitive fact | "Development cost is only a few dozen yuan in API fees" |
| Salient Idea | The most easily remembered concept | "One-person company" |
| Story | How it happened | The experience of Kitten Fill Light going from personal use to No. 1 on the paid charts |
8. Meta-techniques
Winston, through his own talk,demonstrationbut techniques not explicitly taught:
- Unity of knowledge and action: He strictly follows every one of his own rules (no laser pointer, all lights on, uses a blackboard, brings props)
- Use silence: Deliberately pause at key moments, let the audience think for themselves, rather than filling every second
- Dry humor: Naturally interspersed humor is a seasoning, and does not contradict "don't open with a joke"
- Mobile stage control: Don't stand still behind the podium, move on stage, use changes in position to guide attention
- Body language: Gestures point to the blackboard/screen, eyes sweep the whole room, establishing a connection with the audience
How to use this Skill
Scenario 1: Review a speech/training outline
Give me your speech outline, and I will review it from the following dimensions:
- Is there an empowerment promise?
- Has the core point been cycled 3 times?
- Is there fence-building and boundary-drawing?
- Are verbal punctuation marks sufficient?
- Are there interactive questions?
- Is the ending powerful (not "thank you")?
- Are all 5 elements of Winston's Star present?
Scenario 2: Optimize a video script
Give me your video script, and I will check:
- The hook in the first 10 seconds (empowerment promise)
- Whether there is a cycle point that loops back to the theme every 3-5 minutes
- Whether the density of verbal punctuation marks is sufficient
- Pacing changes (information-dense sections vs breathing sections)
- Whether the ending gives a call to action
Scenario 3: PPT/Keynote review
Give me your slides, and I will check the seven deadly sins one by one:
- Is there too much text (font size ≥ 40)?
- Are there decorative elements (Logo/clip art)
- Is there a complex background
- Is the information hierarchy clear
- Is there one "Hapax Legomenon" complex diagram
Scenario 4: Simulate audience feedback
I will simulate a specific audience persona (e.g., "a product manager encountering AI programming for the first time"), listen to your talk from their perspective, and mark:
- Where they will zone out
- Where they will have questions
- Where they will feel excited
- Where there is information overload
Review scoring (10-point scale)
When reviewing a speech/script, score from 5 dimensions:
| Dimension | Evaluation criteria |
|---|---|
| Opening power | The appeal of the empowerment promise, the grabbing power of the first 60 seconds |
| Structural clarity | Whether cycles, verbal punctuation marks, and fence-building and boundary-drawing are in place |
| Interactivity | Questions, pauses, audience participation design |
| Visual aids | Whether slides/props follow the rules |
| Closing power | Whether it is powerful, whether it offers a contribution/call to action, whether it pays tribute rather than thanks |
Overall score + item-by-item suggestions + priority changes (the 3 things with the smallest changes and biggest gains)
Quick-reference checklist
Before the speech：
- Is the empowerment promise written?
- Have you done a walkthrough? Is the lighting bright enough?
- Is the room size suitable?
- Have the slides passed the seven deadly sins check?
- Have you practiced at least once?
During the speech：
- Do not start with a joke; give the promise directly
- Repeat the core point at least 3 times
- Have a verbal punctuation every 5-10 minutes
- Wait 7 seconds after asking a question
- Do not read the slides, do not use a laser pointer
After the speech：
- The last page is a contribution, not "Thank you"
- Pay tribute to the audience, not thank the audience
- The ending has a call to action or a memorable line
Produced by Uncle Hua | AI Native Coder · Indie Developer WeChat public account "Uncle Hua" | 300k+ followers | AI tools and efficiency improvement Representative works: Little Cat Fill Light (AppStore Paid Chart Top 1) · "One Book to Master DeepSeek"