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Vera
Public Speaking

Rehearse the talk, including the Q&A you are dreading.

Run your session out loud, then face the questions you hope nobody asks.

Most speakers rehearse the talk and improvise the Q&A. The Q&A is what people remember.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. Conference Talk Rehearsal, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
Rehearse Your Talk

15 minutes free · no card needed

Rehearse Your Talk

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

Rehearse Your Talk

15 minutes free · no card needed

What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. What is the one thing you want people to remember?
  2. Deliver the opening two minutes.
  3. What question are you hoping nobody asks?
  4. Someone disputes your central claim. Respond.
  5. You have three minutes left and six slides. What do you cut?
More about this one

Conference talks get rehearsed in front of slides; the question section, which is where credibility is won or lost, usually gets no rehearsal at all. Vera runs both by phone: you deliver the talk without slides, which exposes any section that only makes sense visually, and then it asks the hostile questions you are hoping to avoid.

What she listens for

Slide dependenceSections that collapse without the visual, which usually means the point is not stated.
Timing disciplineRunning over is the most common and least forgivable speaker error.
Q&A composureHow you answer the challenge you were hoping to avoid.
  • conference talk
  • keynote rehearsal
  • Q&A preparation
  • talk timing
  • audience question
  • speaker notes
  • technical presentation
  • session slot
“The hostile question I rehearsed was the second one asked. Verbatim, almost.”
Anders K., staff engineer

Related practice

Wedding Toast PracticePractice your toast with timing, pacing, and a listener who reacts.Seed Round Pitch PracticePractice against an investor who interrupts on slide two.Final Round & Executive Interview PrepPractice the exec round where the questions get shorter and harder.UX Designer Interview PrepDesign rationale, critique response, and the research question you will definitely get.

Common questions

Can Vera see my slides?

No, and that is useful — if a section only lands with the slide, the spoken version needs work.

How many rehearsals?

Two full runs plus a Q&A-only round covers most talks well.

Is this useful for internal presentations?

Yes, particularly the Q&A practice, which matters more in an internal room than the delivery does.

What if I am bad at it?

Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.

What if I do not know what to say?

She asks the first question and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.

What if it is awkward?

It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

Rehearse Your Talk