write-cfp

Write CFP Proposal

Generate a compelling conference talk proposal with a hook-worthy title and structured abstract.

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS - The talk topic, title idea, or subject matter

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

If $ARGUMENTS is insufficient, use AskUserQuestion to gather:

Question 1: Talk Type (header: "Type")

• Experience report (here's what we did and learned)
• Technical deep-dive (how X works under the hood)
• Best practices (patterns that work)
• Case study (specific project/problem)
• Introduction (beginner-friendly guide)

Question 2: Target Audience (header: "Audience")

• Junior developers (0-2 years)
• Mid-level developers (3-5 years)
• Senior/Staff (5+ years)
• Mixed levels
• Non-technical stakeholders

Question 3: Duration (header: "Duration")

• Lightning talk (5-10 minutes)
• Standard session (25-40 minutes)
• Deep dive (45-60 minutes)
• Workshop (90+ minutes)

Question 4: Your Experience (header: "Experience")

• I did this myself/led the project
• My team did this and I was involved
• I researched this extensively
• I have opinions from observation

Step 2: Generate Title Options

Apply the CFP Title Formula: [What we did] + [Problem/Solution] + [Why it matters]

Generate 3-5 title options using these patterns:

Pattern 1: The Story Hook

Implies a journey with conflict and resolution.

• "We Migrated to Microservices and Regretted It (For a While)"
• "How Our AI Onboarding Bot Confused Three New Devs"

Pattern 2: The Unexpected Outcome

Subverts expectations.

• "The Weirdest DevOps Hack I Ever Built—And Why It Worked"
• "How Deleting 10,000 Lines Made Us Ship Faster"

Pattern 3: The Specific Metric

Concrete results are compelling.

• "From 30-Second Deploys to 30-Minute Confidence"
• "How We Reduced Our Cloud Bill by 40%"

Pattern 4: The Honest Confession

Vulnerability is memorable.

• "All the Ways I've Broken Production (And How to Not Be Me)"
• "My First Year as Tech Lead: Everything I Did Wrong"

Step 3: Structure the Abstract

Use this five-part structure:

1. Hook (1-2 sentences) Why should anyone care? What's the problem or opportunity?

2. Context (2-3 sentences) What was the situation? Brief setup that establishes credibility.

3. Approach (2-3 sentences) What did you do? The journey, key decisions made.

4. Results (1-2 sentences) What happened? Outcomes and lessons learned.

5. Takeaways (3 bullet points) What will attendees walk away with? Be specific and actionable.

Step 4: Generate Complete Proposal

Produce a submission-ready CFP:

## Conference Talk Proposal

### Title Options

1. **[Primary title - strongest option]**
2. [Alternative title 1]
3. [Alternative title 2]

---

### Abstract

[HOOK: 1-2 sentences that establish relevance and grab attention]

[CONTEXT: 2-3 sentences setting up the situation, establishing credibility]

[APPROACH: 2-3 sentences about what you did, the journey, key decisions]

[RESULTS: 1-2 sentences about outcomes and key lessons]

**Attendees will walk away with:**
• [Specific, actionable takeaway 1]
• [Specific, actionable takeaway 2]
• [Specific, actionable takeaway 3]

This talk is ideal for [target audience] who are [dealing with what situation].

---

### Speaker Bio (100 words)

[Your name] is a [role] at [company/context] who [relevant experience].
[Brief credential that establishes expertise on this topic].
[Optional: Previous speaking experience or relevant content].

---

### Additional Notes (for reviewers)

**Why this talk matters now:** [Brief rationale]

**What makes this unique:** [Your angle/perspective]

**Technical requirements:** [Any special needs]

---

### Outline (if requested)

1. **Introduction** ([X] min) - [Brief description]
2. **[Section 1]** ([X] min) - [Brief description]
3. **[Section 2]** ([X] min) - [Brief description]
4. **[Section 3]** ([X] min) - [Brief description]
5. **Conclusion & Q&A** ([X] min) - [Brief description]

Step 5: Quality Check

Before submission, verify:

• Title is compelling and specific (not generic)
• Hook grabs attention in first 2 sentences
• Abstract clearly states what attendees learn
• Takeaways are specific and actionable
• Target audience is explicitly stated
• Bio establishes credibility on this topic
• Length matches conference requirements

Step 6: Offer Refinements

After presenting the proposal, offer:

1. Title alternatives - Different angles or hooks
2. Audience adjustment - More/less technical
3. Abstract variations - Shorter or expanded versions
4. Conference targeting - Suggestions for where to submit

Example Usage

# With topic
/soft-skills:write-cfp How we reduced deployment time by 90%

# With rough idea
/soft-skills:write-cfp Talk about our microservices migration lessons

# Start with questions
/soft-skills:write-cfp

Output

Present a complete conference proposal with:

1. 3-5 title options ranked by strength
2. Full abstract using Hook-Context-Approach-Results-Takeaways structure
3. Speaker bio template
4. Outline for longer talks
5. Submission tips for the specific type

Titles to Avoid

❌ "Introduction to [Technology]" - Too generic ❌ "Best Practices for [X]" - Vague, overused ❌ "[Technology] Deep Dive" - What specifically? ❌ "How to [Basic Thing]" - Sounds like a tutorial ❌ "[Technology]: A Comprehensive Overview" - Sounds like documentation

Conference Targeting Tips

Conference Type	What Works
Language/Framework	Technical depth, specific implementations
DevOps/Platform	Process improvements, tooling stories
Leadership/Culture	Team dynamics, organizational lessons
Local/Regional	Beginner-friendly, broad appeal
Enterprise	Scale challenges, case studies