Code Brain | How Do You Speak Up Boldly and Talk About Your Startup Dream?

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#Code Brain — Ecosystem Connection, Cognitive Resonance

"Stay hungry, stay foolish" — this iconic line comes from Steve Jobs's 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. For many founders, Jobs remains a touchstone, and his appeal owes much to his consistently powerful public speaking.

As an entrepreneur, business growth inevitably brings opportunities to speak in public: pitch meetings, press conferences, industry summits, and more. A compelling speech demands vivid, precise language and confident, expressive body language to convey your message accurately while forging emotional connection with your audience.

Effective public communication helps founders win understanding and buy-in — and ultimately, success. In this issue of Code Brain, we share how to prepare for a speech that tells your entrepreneurial story.

01 Prepare Thoroughly, Then Find the Courage to Speak

Imagine: in one week, you face a high-stakes public speech. You sit at your computer, agonizing over your draft, unable to put words to page. The following framework will help you unpack your thinking, clarify your purpose and needs, and give your speech clear direction.

Step 1: Define the Speech Type

Speeches come in many forms, but for founders, they broadly fall into informative speeches and persuasive speeches. An informative speech offers the audience something interesting, novel, or practical — if you're introducing a new product, this is your format. A persuasive speech aims to change how people think or act — if you're raising funds for your next strategic initiative, you'll need to persuade.

Step 2: Analyze Your Audience

As Step 1 suggests, the audience is the starting point for all content. With your speech type defined, analyze who will be listening:

  • Who are they? Target customers? Potential investors or partners?
  • What's their background? Gender, age, field of expertise, education level — audiences vary enormously. When describing a breakthrough technical advantage, will they grasp specialized jargon and appreciate the significance? When you drop a trending internet meme to lighten the mood, will they get it?
  • What specific outcome do you want? The more concrete, the better. Do you want post-speech orders rolling in? To reinforce your company's leadership "label" in a key area? Breaking down broad goals like "inform" or "persuade" into concrete objectives critically guides your content and strategy choices.

Audience analysis shapes your organizational approach and tone. Identify shared experiences that build resonance and close psychological distance. In short, audience-centricity is the golden rule of speaking — beware the trap of self-indulgence.

**Step 3: Gather Materials and Enrich Details

With clear audience profiles and specific goals, assemble rich source material. Great stories brim with vivid, engaging details.

  • Mobilize internal resources to collect key data from each department. As the "protagonist" of your speech, your company's core information is what audiences most want. Selectively draw on quantified or visualized results from across business units — let the facts speak.
  • External data sources are even more abundant. A wealth of channels offer the latest on industry trends and policy developments, adding depth and credibility beyond your core message.

Step 4: Draft the Speech

With all materials ready, organize them with clear logic. A speech consists of introduction, body, and conclusion — each serving distinct functions.

  • The introduction must command attention and build psychological connection. Open with an intriguing anecdote, striking statistics, a thought-provoking question, even a small cliffhanger — whatever captures curiosity from the first moment.
  • The body is the core, delivering your message with clarity and force. Structure key points logically (inductively, deductively, causally, chronologically), branching like a tree diagram. For critical points, subdivide further. Drawing on your research, organize each point as "core message — evidence — conclusion." Distinguish opinion from fact throughout, maintaining objectivity and sincerity.
  • The conclusion reviews key points and restates core messages, since audiences won't remember everything. Use signal phrases like "finally" or "in summary" to cue closure. Recap the body's main arguments, then issue a final call to action. End with thanks — even brief gratitude strengthens goodwill toward you and your company.

02 Four Elements to Avoid "Reciting Textbook"

In "public speaking," both the "speaking" and the "performing" matter. It's not the rote recitation of school days. A great speech requires apt performance and natural storytelling. Some techniques:

  • Engage with your audience. The golden rule of audience-centricity applies here too. Avoid floating your gaze into empty space or locking onto one person. Let your eyes move naturally across the room, meeting listeners' eyes to build trust and connection through sincerity.
  • Use body language strategically. Unconscious gestures betray your mental state. Nervous speakers pace or freeze rigidly at the podium, projecting insecurity; open, deliberate gestures convey confidence. If fluid movement takes time to master, start with posture — feet shoulder-width apart, standing straight, one fist's distance from the podium (don't lean), hands resting naturally on the podium or holding note cards.
  • Harness the power of your voice. Voice carries the "speaking." Sufficient volume, moderate pace, and dynamic inflection help audiences hear and retain your message. Strategic pauses create space for reflection, shift tone, and modulate emotion.
  • Use visual aids effectively. Visuals are integral to "presentation." Clean, intuitive slides matter. "Clean" means showing only essential information — key data, minimal text, large clear fonts, ample white space. "Intuitive" means employing charts (line graphs, pie charts) and relevant imagery to express core ideas visually.

03 Overcoming Nervousness Is Where Efficiency Multiplies

Pre-speech nerves are normal. The key is channeling them positively:

  • Prepare thoroughly: Last-minute cramming breeds anxiety. Confidence comes from ample preparation time.
  • Maintain positive thinking: Tell yourself, "Every speaker gets nervous. If others can do it, so can I."
  • Visualize success: Imagine attracting top talent, products selling out, strategy winning approval, raising more capital — the fruits of a successful speech.
  • Focus on "communicating with the audience" and forget yourself.
  • Don't fear mistakes: If you skip a section or mix up point order, don't apologize. Only you know the full script. Stay composed and natural — audiences won't notice. Forgive yourself and adjust as you go.
  • Study great examples: Including Jobs's 2005 Stanford address and Huawei CEO Zhengfei Ren's speech at the Central Research Institute Innovation Pioneers Symposium.

In his Stanford address, Jobs reflected on his early entrepreneurial years — those garage days of "dream-making," never abandoning his gaze at the stars. As "partners on the entrepreneurial journey," Source Code Capital always helps founders find their own vast oceans of stars, taking each "leap of faith." Here, we share Jobs's words again, in solidarity with MaHui entrepreneurs:

Stay hungry, stay foolish. Bravely acknowledge what you know you don't know, and what you don't even know you don't know — keep exploring, iterating, and voyaging toward the stars.

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References

[1] Andrew Dlugan (November 15, 2012), Audience Analysis: A Guide for Speakers, website, Six Minutes, Retrieved from: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/audience-analysis/

[2] Craig N. Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P. (May 17, 2017), Fear of public speaking: How can I overcome it?, Mayo Clinic, website, Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/specific-phobias/expert-answers/fear-of-public-speaking/faq-20058416

[3] Jeff Schmitt (July 16, 2013), 10 Keys To Writing A Speech, website, Forbes, Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffschmitt/2013/07/16/10-keys-to-writing-a-speech/?sh=3214d04e4fb7

[4] Stephen E. Lucas (2011), The Art of Public Speaking, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Published by McGraw-Hill, 11th edition, p249.

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Issue 23 Code Brain | Eight Questions on Going Global: Where Are the New Opportunities?

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