Claudio Lassala's Blog

How early talks, recent coaching, and future mentoring all connect in a shared journey.

Past

My first brush with public speaking wasn’t at a conference; it was in high school. One of our professors, Sergio, had us write small programs in Clipper and then present them to the class. My team of four collaborated closely, made sure everyone contributed, and sold our project with confidence. I realized I liked that mix of technical depth and communication.

Years later, I was invited to speak at the Visual FoxPro 7 launch. Instead of a one‑hour slot, I ran a full‑day session, 9 to 5. I wasn’t an expert; I had only used FoxPro for a few years and had just received the beta. But I dove in, learned as much as I could, and shared what it all. Attendees left asking for the next one. That day taught me: you don’t need to be the top expert to share. You just need to be willing to learn out loud.

Present

This year, I set a goal of helping more people build and deliver talks. I paired with colleagues for internal talks at Improving. One of them, Matthew, wrestled with anxiety about speaking. We worked together, co‑presented, and I watched his confidence grow. Coaching reminded me of my own struggles: how preparing for a talk once took me hours, how messy my notes can be, and what kind of anxiety I still feel. Yet sharing the process, not just the polished result, creates connection.

I wrote a post to talk about this experience: Beyond Slides and Syntax: Public Speaking, Coaching, and AI.

Future

Public speaking remains one of the most common fears. I want to keep mentoring people through it, not because I have it all figured out, but because I remember what it felt like to start. Sharing your lessons before you feel like an expert is a gift to others and to yourself. My future goal is simple: keep making room for new voices, keep pairing, keep passing it forward.

Previous Posts You Might Enjoy

👉 Making Given‑When‑Then Work for Your Team — Practical ways to fit GWT into your team’s rhythm without adding friction or confusion.

👉 Context Beats “Vibe Coding” — Why the setting you code in matters more than the temporary “flow” of vibe-driven sessions.

Upcoming Talks

BDD, but not the way you heard it before
CypressConf 2025
— October 22nd @2:30 pm CDT