Conference Talk Builder

Conference Talk Builder

Transform brain dumps, transcripts, or raw ideas into structured conference talk scripts using narrative frameworks and Nick Nisi's voice.

The output is a talk script — a narrative outline with slide-by-slide content plan, speaker notes, and timing guidance. It is deliberately tool-agnostic: feed the script into Slidev, Gamma, iA Presenter, Keynote, or whatever you use to build the actual slides.

Process

Stage 0: Entry Path

Determine how the user is starting:

From scratch — They have a topic but no material yet. Go to Stage 1.

From a brain dump — They have scattered notes, bullet points, ideas. Go to Stage 1 and use their material as the starting input.

From a transcript — They have a recording transcript, prior talk, or existing outline. Go to Stage 1-T.

From feedback — They have an existing talk script from a prior session and want to revise. Skip to Stage 4.

Stage 1: Information Gathering

Ask the user for (skip what they've already provided):

• Talk title (working title is fine)
• Topic — what's the talk about?
• Target audience — conference attendees, meetup crowd, internal team, workshop participants?
• Audience knowledge level — beginner, intermediate, expert, mixed?
• Duration — lightning (5 min), standard (20-30 min), extended (45+ min)?
• Main points they want to cover
• The story — what problem are they solving, what journey did they take, what do they want the audience to walk away with?
• Code density — is this code-heavy, concept-heavy, or balanced?
• Constraints — specific technologies, company context, anything off-limits?
• Brain dump — everything they know about the topic, unorganized is fine

Don't require all of this upfront. Ask for what's missing after the first pass.

Stage 1-T: Transcript Analysis

When working from existing material:

1. Read the provided transcript or outline
2. Extract: key themes, narrative arc (if any), main arguments, examples, audience assumptions
3. Identify gaps — what's missing for a complete talk?
4. Summarize what you found and ask the user to fill gaps
5. Proceed to Stage 2 with the extracted material

Stage 2: Narrative Framework Selection

Read references/framework-guide.md for the full selection algorithm.

Quick-match shortcuts (covers ~80% of talks):

• Personal journey / "I solved X" → Story Circle
• Teaching a concept → The Spiral or Socratic Path
• "Here's what went wrong" → In Medias Res or Reverse Chronology
• Tool/approach comparison → The Rashomon or Converging Ideas
• Vision / persuasion → The Sparkline
• Absurd complexity → Kafkaesque Labyrinth or Catch-22
• Recurring pain → Sisyphean Arc
• Myth-busting → The False Start or Comedian's Set

Run the scoring algorithm from the framework guide using the user's inputs (tone, duration, audience, topic type, code density). Present the top 2 recommendations with a brief sketch of how the talk maps to each framework's structure. Let the user choose or suggest alternatives.

Once a framework is selected, read only that framework's reference file from references/frameworks/. Do not preload all twenty-two.

Stage 3: Build the Talk Script

Read references/voice-tone.md to calibrate Nick's presentation voice.

Then calibrate against recent talks:

1. If the user has given prior talks or published slides, reference those for voice calibration
2. Note patterns that differ from blog writing — talks are more casual, use more humor, and rely on rhythm and pacing

Structure the talk script as a markdown document with:

Header

# [Talk Title]

**Duration**: [target length]
**Audience**: [who and what level]
**Framework**: [selected framework]
**Slide count target**: [based on duration — see framework reference]

## Narrative Arc

[2-3 sentence summary of the story arc using the framework's structure]

Slide-by-slide Content Plan

For each slide:

### Slide N: [Descriptive Title]

**Framework phase**: [which step/act of the framework this maps to]
**Key visual**: [what should be on the slide — a code block, image, diagram, list, quote, or just a heading]
**On screen**: [the actual text/content the audience sees]

**Speaker notes**: [what you say while this slide is up — written in Nick's voice]

**Transition**: [how this connects to the next slide]

Appendix

## Resources

[Links, references, further reading for the closing slide]

## Timing Guide

[Rough time allocation per framework phase]

Stage 4: Refine and Iterate

After presenting the talk script:

• Ask if the narrative arc feels right
• Check if any sections need expansion or compression
• Verify code examples are appropriately scoped
• Confirm the story flows — does each transition feel natural?
• Check pacing against duration target

Voice check: Re-read references/voice-tone.md and scan the speaker notes for:

• Does it sound conversational, not scripted?
• Is there vulnerability where appropriate?
• Are there specific details (tool names, numbers, real examples)?
• Is humor self-aware, not forced?
• Would Nick actually say this on stage?

Iterate based on feedback. The talk script is the deliverable — the user takes it to their slide tool of choice.

Key Principles

Tell a Story: You don't need to be an expert. Focus on how you approached a problem and solved it. The journey is more interesting than the destination.

One Idea Per Slide: Each slide earns its place by advancing exactly one concept. If you need a bullet list longer than 3-4 items, split across slides.

Show, Don't Tell: Code examples, diagrams, screenshots, and demos are more memorable than bullet points. But break complex code across multiple slides.

Pacing Matters: Vary the rhythm. Dense technical slides need breathing room — follow them with a simple visual or a moment of humor. Speaker notes should indicate pace changes.

Make Follow-up Easy: End with a memorable URL, QR code, or handle linking to slides and resources.

Engage the Audience: Use questions. Make eye contact. The speaker notes should include audience interaction cues where appropriate.