My big presentation to the Phoenix team totally bombed last Thursday

I prepped for two weeks but my laptop crashed right as I pulled up the slides, and the backup file was corrupted. Had to talk through it from memory and completely lost my flow. What's your go-to backup plan when tech fails you in a high-stakes meeting?

4 comments

4 Comments

derek_hill26d agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, that's the worst feeling. Do you have a printout of your key slides or even just a one-page outline? I started keeping a paper copy in my bag after a similar meltdown (seriously, just bullet points on a notecard). It gives you something to glance at to get back on track without staring at a dead screen. I also email the deck to myself AND save it on my phone as a PDF right before I start, so I can pull it up there if I have to.

lewis.gray26d ago

Wait, does emailing it to yourself actually work if your laptop dies? I tried that once but the hotel wifi was so slow I couldn't even load my own email. That's why I switched to putting the PDF on a USB drive and keeping it in my wallet. It's clunky, but at least it doesn't need the internet.

the_stella26d ago

Lewis, your USB drive plan is solid until you forget which pocket you put it in, right?

the_miles26d ago

Forget the wifi, your laptop DIED too?