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COM 88 — High-Impact Communication to Advance Your Technology Career

Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Matt Vassar
Duration: 8 weeks
Format/Location: Live Online
Date(s): Apr 17—Jun 5
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
 
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $500
   
Refund Deadline: Apr 19
 
Unit(s): 1
   
Enrollment Limit: 50
  
Status: Closed
 
Quarter: Spring
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 17—Jun 5
Unit(s): 1
Format/Location: Live Online
 
Tuition: $500
 
Refund Deadline: Apr 19
 
Instructor(s): Matt Vassar
 
Enrollment Limit: 50
 
Recording Available: Yes
 
Status: Closed
 
What do tech visionaries have in common? They all know how to engage an audience through their vision—not just the technical details of their work. Working in the tech industry, it’s one thing to have a brilliant idea that could change your organization or your industry, but it’s another thing to translate it to nontechnical audiences in a way that informs and excites. A growing number of studies confirm the importance of learning technical communication. In a survey, engineers rated communication skills as more important to success in an engineering career than the engineering skills themselves. Recent research also finds that the strongest predictor of which entrepreneurs get venture capital funding has nothing to do with the startup idea or the credentials of the entrepreneur, but instead with how confident and comfortable the entrepreneur seems as a presenter. Through this hands-on and highly interactive course, you’ll learn strategies to make your ideas accessible, storytelling to make your concepts fascinating, and relationship building to gain supporters for your ideas. In class, you’ll practice both formal presentations and informal conversations. By the end of the course, you’ll have transformed your communication so that your ideas are met with excitement and your colleagues instantly understand the importance of your work.

Advanced-level proficiency in spoken English is required.

MATT VASSAR
Core Lecturer, Stanford School of Engineering

Matt Vassar teaches and develops the curriculum for the Stanford course ENGR 103/203: "Public Speaking," offered by the School of Engineering's Technical Communication Program. He also consults for tech firms and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley on impactful presentations and getting their ideas to spread. His clients have included The Gap, Nextdoor, and Greylock Partners.

Textbooks for this course:

There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.