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Jordan Gauthier: How to give a good talk—by purposefully giving a bad talk

Jordan Gauthier/cancerhealth.com

Mar 13, 2025, 04:36

Jordan Gauthier: How to give a good talk—by purposefully giving a bad talk

Jordan Gauthier, Associate Professor at Fred Hutch/University of Washington, shared a post on X:

“Dear Trainees, bookmark this.

Marco Ruella, SITC, teaches us how to give a good talk—by purposefully giving a bad talk!

Lighter the better
Less is more
Consistent font
Large font size (≥18)
Careful with animations: friends sometimes (to help introduce complex concepts), but often distracting foes
Have an outline, come back to it to reorient the audience
No data spoilers upfront
Build an engaging story (background, gap, your data, next steps)
Pause to create anticipation
Tailor talk to your audience
Do a tech check beforehand (AV team, podium)
Thank chairs/organizers by name
Be humble
Conclude with a personal touch—something new and exciting

Any additional tips to offer?”

Jordan Gauthier: How to give a good talk—by purposefully giving a bad talk

cancer fight against cancer Fred Hutch Global awareness Global fight against cancer good talk Jordan Gauthier Less is more Marco Ruella OncoDaily Oncology SITC

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