A MIT professor taught the same lecture every January for 40 years, and every single time it was standing room only.
I watched it at 2am and it completely rewired how I think about communication.
His name was Patrick Winston. The lecture is called "How to Speak."
His opening line hit like a truck: your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas in that order.
Not your GPA. Not your pedigree. Not your IQ. How you speak is what separates people who get heard from people who get ignored.
Here's the framework he drilled into MIT students for four decades.
He said never start with a joke. Start by telling people exactly what they're going to learn. Prime the pump before you pour anything in. He called it the "empowerment promise" give people a reason to stay in their seats within the first 60 seconds.
Then he broke down the 5S rule for making ideas stick: Symbol, Slogan, Surprise, Salient, and Story. Every idea worth remembering hits at least three of these.
The part that floored me was his "near miss" technique. Don't just show what's right show what almost looks right but isn't. That contrast is when the brain actually locks something in permanently.
His final rule before any big talk: end with a contribution, not a summary. Don't recap what you said. Tell people what you gave them that they didn't have before they walked in.
I've used this framework in pitches, interviews, and presentations ever since watching it, and the results are not subtle.
Patrick Winston passed away in 2019, but this lecture is still free on MIT OpenCourseWare. One hour, watched by millions, and it costs absolutely nothing.
The most important class MIT ever put on the internet isn't about code or math. It's about how to make people actually listen to you.
When we called Ryan to say he was our @cafemocharadio “ salute them” winner, we thought he would just leave a video message thanking us.. Ryan flew to Washington DC before heading to London in the Middle of his press tour… the students at Howard were over joyed to see him.. that is the kind of man he is.. Congratulations on your #oscar many more to come!!!!
The President is lying to the public:
1) For the past century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor – not Maryland. The sewage pipe is on federal land.
2) Maryland agencies and DC Water presented updates on the cleanup during a two-hour legislative hearing. Trump’s EPA was invited. They refused to attend.
3) Maryland officials were onsite within hours of the leak to help coordinate the response and protect the public. We will continue to partner with regional leaders.
Andrew Huberman shared something beautiful with Theo Von:
“I’m a scientist… and I pray every day. On my knees. Morning, night, even quietly in the bathroom before coming here.”
He talked about how reading the Bible and learning animals can see light we can’t (UV, infrared) made faith feel natural—not separate from science, but part of what makes it all more wondrous.
Theo smiled: “Sometimes an idea comes through and I think… that wasn’t just me. I’m just trying to be a good antenna.”
This 2-minute moment is gentle, honest, and deeply human.
If you’ve ever felt there might be more to life than what we can measure—this one’s for you.
My office secured nearly $17 million from @DoorDash for cheating delivery workers out of their hard-earned pay.
I'm reminding all eligible DoorDash delivery workers to file a claim now to get their money back before the deadline on December 31, 2025.
https://t.co/2oa7u3tlZS
Michael Jordan:
"I'm pretty sure I'm part of the reason why everybody tries to get a logo…But the thing is, that brand was established based on what I did on the basketball court. I didn't put the brand before I put the work."
(h/t @fsh733)
https://t.co/CrBKOKXc4I