The TED Commandments

I've seen many presentations on interesting material being delivered in not so interesting ways. It's always a bummer. But I'm yet to have this kind of experience with a TED speech. Sure, TED speakers are accomplished professionals professionals; but I think you all know that impressive accomplishments are not necessarily accompanied by impressive communication skills.

I ran into some ting today that made me think that the caliber of TED's speeches may have something to do with TED's recipe for speech delivery. Every person scheduled to speak at TED apparently receives a rock in the mail, with the TED speakers' guidelines printed on it.

1. Thou shalt not simply trot out thy usual shtick
2. Thou shalt dream a great dream, or show forth a wondrous new thing, or share something thou hast never shared before
3. Thou shalt reveal thy curiosity and thy passion
4. Thou shalt tell a story
5. Thou shalt freely comment on the utterances of other speakers for the sake of blessed connection and exquisite controversy
6. Thou shalt not flaunt thine Ego. Be thou vulnerable. Speak of thy failure as well as thy success.

7. Thou shalt not sell from the stage: neither thy company, thy goods, thy writings, nor thy desperate need for funding; lest thou be cast aside into outer darkness.
8. Thou shalt remember all the while: laughter is good.
9. Thou shalt not read thy speech.

10. Thou shalt not steal the time of them that follow thee.


My favorite commandments are 1, 3, 4 and 5. I hope you put them to good use!