Speak with Confidence Under Pressurein 5 days
A course on effective communication for senior technical experts. With Jonathan Kahn.
Imagine the scene. By Friday, February 7—just 5 days from now—you’ll be able to:
- explain complex ideas to managers
- organise your thoughts in real time
- appear confident to any audience
Technical experts know their stuff.
But under pressure, it’s difficult to explain.
You’re a senior technical expert. But when you’re in the hot seat, it’s hard to explain your knowledge to a general audience.
I’ve met hundreds of people who have this problem. From engineers to designers, risk managers to research scientists. They:
- freeze or speak too fast
- can’t find the words
- forget what they know
But there’s an easy fix.
Communication is like any other skill. Learn the tricks and you’ll make rapid progress.
Lessons I learned the hard way.
17 years ago I was an excellent developer with a problem. I’d shipped websites for major brands. But my communication skills didn’t match my technical chops.
(I know what you’re thinking. What’s a 26‑year‑old coder doing backstage at the Southbank Centre in a DJ? That, my friend, is a story for another time.)
I set out to answer the most pressing questions facing technical experts:
- How to explain complex topics to generalists?
- Why is it so hard to gather your thoughts under pressure?
- What do managers really want?
- And how do you get them to follow your advice?
I got advanced training in improvisation and conflict resolution. I organised conferences for digital pros in London and beyond. I perfected my listening skills and found a talent for coaching.
It wasn’t exactly plain sailing. I made plenty of mistakes, from awkward silences to making a loss on a conference. But I also had fun, met awesome people and learned a ton.
Learnings that you can access for free, right now. Without any of the pain.
What we’ll cover over the next five daysin just 10 minutes per day
- Today
Finding the words under pressure
How to choose the right vocab for your audience. Should you use jargon? Formal or casual language?
- Tomorrow
Body language, eye contact & nonverbals
Do our bodies convey more than our words? What “executive presence” means—and how to get it.
- Tue, Feb 4
Why it’s hard to organise your thoughts off‑the‑cuff
The science behind why we freeze under pressure. Easy ways to make things up on the spot.
- Wed, Feb 5
What it means to be articulate
Your audience will decide whether you’re articulate or dull. What are they looking for?
- Thu, Feb 6
How to manage anxiety and project confidence
Bring it all together. Learn 7 ways to connect with anyone, even when you’re nervous.
Daily video lessons
We’ve split the course into digestible chunks, so it fits into your routine:
- daily email prompts for each lesson
- videos are five minutes long
- get the lowdown on a crucial topic for senior technical experts
- videos walk you through the exercises so you know exactly what to do
Interactive exercises make it real
Each day you’ll complete a short exercise:
- follow the prompts to apply today’s lesson to a real-world communication scenario
- customise your learning for your specific challenges
- find strengths and growth areas with a quiz
- we’ll send you a copy of your answers for easy reference
Rate your skills. Get tailored advice.
Exercises reveal your strengths and improvement points:
- find out which areas of communication to focus on
- get specific advice for the skills you need to improve
- implement tips and tricks immediately
- see which answers led to your score for each area
