Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

Introduction

• Presenter: Danish
• Background: Moved from Pakistan to Tanzania. Experienced fear of public speaking from a young age.

Early Experiences

• First public speaking experience in school: put on the spot, felt fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.
• Fear persisted through college in the US.

Confronting the Fear

• Explored solutions online:
  • Google search led to various methods to overcome fear of public speaking.
  • Realization that public speaking is a teachable skill.

Methods Tried

• Online Courses:
  • Learned to vary tone and pace to maintain audience engagement.
• Practicing in Front of a Mirror:
  • Built confidence through self-feedback.
• Joining Toastmasters:
  • Received constructive feedback from peers.

Insights Gained

• Initial fear felt like a dark hole.
• Overcoming fear involved trying multiple strategies.
• Realized the need for a simpler, more direct solution.

The Role of Technology

• Interest in AI and how digital assistants understand voice.
• Conceptualized a tool to act as a personal speech coach using AI.

Development of Oro AI

• Creation of a mobile app for public speaking:
  • Counts ums and uhs.
  • Provides personalized lessons and practice space.
  • Offers instant feedback using AI.
• Built by Danish and his roommate despite not being experts.

Encouragement and Conclusion

• Emphasizes facing and addressing fears.
• Encourages seeking solutions or creating them if none exist.
• Importance of continuous improvement in public speaking—no finish line.

Demonstration with Oro AI

• Real-time feedback example:
  • Recorded speech was analyzed.
  • Feedback on filler words, pace, energy, and speech clarity.
  • Encouraging results and further practice suggested.

Final Message

• Empowerment through acknowledging and confronting fears.
• Continuous journey of becoming a better speaker.

• Key Takeaway: Public speaking can be learned and improved with practice, feedback, and innovative solutions like Oro AI.