What Everyone in Tech Should Learn from John Mulaney & Steve Jobs

The Nugget

  • Mastering the art of anticlimax, bathos, and beating a dead horse in presentations can captivate and engage an audience by incorporating unexpected twists, humor, and passion.

Key quotes

  • "You know, for years, movies didn't have sound, and then they figured it out." - John Mulaney
  • "Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone... And here it is." - Steve Jobs
  • "People love it because both Mulaney and Jobs are passionate about the subject." - John McGuire
  • "These are two guys who are so excited about a thing that beating a dead horse isn't a negative." - John McGuire
  • "It's not about copying these guys or using these specific techniques, but how can you find your voice?" - John McGuire

Key insights

Anticlimax, Bathos, and Beating a Dead Horse in Presentations

  • John Mulaney and Steve Jobs captivate audiences by incorporating anticlimactic reveals, bathos, and repetitive elements:
    1. Anticlimax: Setting up grand expectations and then delivering something unexpected.
    2. Bathos: Mixing serious topics with categorically different elements to break pretentiousness.
    3. Beating a Dead Horse: Repeating elements with high risk but high rewards when executed well.

Passion and Engagement

  • Both Mulaney and Jobs excel in capturing audience attention due to their genuine passion for their subjects:
    • They engage their audience through excitement rather than seeking laughs.
    • Their enthusiasm turns potentially repetitive moments into engaging experiences.

Finding Your Voice

  • While not every presenter needs to mimic Mulaney or Jobs, there is value in finding your authentic voice:
    • Discover what you are passionate about and leverage techniques to engage your audience.
    • Experiment with different approaches to communication to identify what resonates best.

Make it stick

  • 💡 Passion drives engagement more effectively than chasing laughs.
  • 🎤 Finding your unique voice can make your presentations more captivating.
  • 🤔 Experimenting with different techniques and approaches can help you identify what works best for engaging your audience.
  • 🌟 Anticipate, surprise, engage, repeat - a powerful formula for impactful presentations.
This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.