I love this TED talk. It is a great example of a speaker who is clearly nervous – he acknowledges the fact himself – but it doesn’t matter at all. Yes, he is wringing his hands and stumbling over words. He is still open to the audience though, sharing with generosity and enthusiasm, and this helps him connect brilliantly.These are some lovely strengths of the talk:

1) Real pictures (not stock photos) give us a fantastic sense of place, community and context. They are fun, and the speaker draws our attention to specific details in them.

2) The talk is inspirational because it is honest and addresses the practicalities of the project, rather than only showing us an ideal, finished version. It describes the trajectory of the Pirate Supply Store in a human way, and one that helps us see how we could fit into that vision, not just admire it.

3) Lovely use of humour throughout – not via extended anecdotes, but again by acknowledging real details – ‘the trust gap’, ‘the one bathroom’, all as part of the adventure. The speaker’s style of delivery is perfectly appropriate for the fun, delightful project that he is describing. The audience not only laughs, but bursts into spontaneous applause because both the content and the delivery are truly infectious and engaging.