Codemotion Milan 2023: my first session in public
Tags: eventsinyourcity, webdev, javascript, frontend
Published: 2023-11-17 11:32:59

Hey folks! 👋🏼 Welcome to all tech and software development enthusiasts!  
  
I'm Davide, Software Engineer @ Klarna, and I'm one of the 120 speakers who had the opportunity to step on stage to share their experience at [Codemotion Milan 2023](https://conferences.codemotion.com/milan2023-live/).  
If you don't know what Codemotion is (that's a shame, you should!), it's the biggest tech conference in Italy 🇮🇹🤌🏼 and one of the biggest tech conferences in Europe. They organize a lot of events and webinars about a lot of topics: accessibility, AI, programming languages and much more.

My journey began when I received a message from my dear friend [Emanuele](https://x.com/kasuken) on Telegram asking if I'd like to join Codemotion's WannaBe Speaker program and deliver a public session for the very first time in my life. Just to add a bit of context, Emanuele is a Codemotion ambassador, Microsoft MVP, GitHub Star and lastly [GitHub Star of the Year (2023)](https://github.blog/2023-11-09-celebrating-the-github-awards-2023-recipients/#star-of-the-year-award). He's always been my inspiration since day 0 when I started working in the IT world (I met him as a colleague in my first job experience) and he has always encouraged and motivated me to do my best to shine.  
  
The mentorship with Emanuele was an intense and educational journey. He did something around 120 sessions in public and many more online, so I was sure that thanks to his incredible experience he would have advised me in the best way possible.  
For these and many other reasons, his proposal to guide and mentor me through the world of public speaking was the spark that immediately ignited my determination and convinced me that I would make it, so I accepted!


![My WannaBe Speaker session](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gthel2rpc9mya1w9pypy.png)


Through Meet calls, Telegram groups, and individual sessions, Emanuele shared many essential but extremely helpful tips and strategies to face the stage with confidence.  
He didn't just prepare me for the event; he aimed to bring out a unique communication style, valid for this session and for any other session I will do in the future.

Initially, I had many expectations and fears. It was my very first time at an event of this entity and at the same time, I had never spoken on a stage before so I was completely unaware of what I was going towards: it was a leap of faith. About 2400 people were attending the event, so I knew that I would have had to be well prepared on my topic and that my public speaking skills would have been put to a real test.  
However, Codemotion's WannaBe Speaker program exceeded all my predictions: the event wasn't just a place to talk about technology and meet new cool people; it was a unique opportunity to grow as an individual.  
Reality surpassed expectations, transforming the event into a springboard for my personal and professional growth.

The content of my session was about the [View Transitions API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/View_Transitions_API), a new browser API still partially in beta and available just for Chromium browsers (as of today 😃).  
I tried to convey my passion and knowledge on the subject, engaging the audience in a meaningful conversation. The preparation with Emanuele made this moment even more rewarding.

![Empty venue](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vp6gbvazv9n97bnyoo4h.jpg)

![Crowded venue](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pfiyjln5qt6yy3yg804d.jpg)

On the day of the talk, I was a bit nervous and excited at the same time: as soon as I reached the venue, I immediately realized how big it was and how many people there would have been: I was shocked! 🤯  
I had the opportunity to meet new fantastic people, see familiar faces, and engage in insightful conversations that enriched both my professional network and personal experiences.  
  
I also got the chance to stay in the "speaker room", where I took the opportunity to review my slides and check if everything was ready for the session that was planned for the afternoon.

The moment I stepped onto the stage was a mix of emotions: adrenaline, enthusiasm, and a slight tension blended as the audience awaited my words. Thanks to both Emanuele and the support of the program, I faced the stage with confidence, aware that I was up there for a reason and not because I was a random lucky person.

The session went pretty well: maybe I just started too quickly for fear of missing something during the speech 😅 As soon as I stepped off the stage, some people came to provide feedback and ask questions: that moment was probably my favorite because is the most "rewarding" - knowing that the audience was engaged and eager to discuss the topic made the entire experience truly fulfilling.

![Me while speaking](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/u9o29ibjknp1sko5u1b4.gif)

![Me while speaking - pt2](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bg38hzquuxzr4ijmuvfa.jpg)

![A post session selfie with Emanuele](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/g0m1nljucj92fu6q0q04.jpg)

I highly recommend this experience for anyone aspiring to improve their speaking skills: it encourages personal and professional growth. Mentors like Emanuele create a stage for you to shine. Taking the red pill and joining this experience is a step toward inevitable growth and unlocking your potential. It's definitely worth it!

This initiative had a profound impact on my personal and professional growth. I learned to overcome the challenges of public speaking and gained confidence in my abilities. The network of connections and the experience with the WannaBe Speaker Program became invaluable resources for my future path.

In conclusion, Codemotion Milan 2023 was an absolutely unforgettable chapter in my career.  
Thanks to the WannaBe Speaker Program, I overcame my fears and embraced the stage with confidence. If you receive an invitation to participate, don't hesitate to take this unique opportunity!

Thanks to everyone who made this extraordinary journey possible!  
  
See you at next year's Codemotion! 😉