I’m very fortunate to be able to get around and see a wide variety of companies and entrepreneur’s from the biggest like eBay and Google to the smallest of startups.

Here’s Evan Krauss, CEO of Cuts (in two segments: six minute demo and a 13 minute interview). Cuts makes a system that lets you edit movies. Turns out there’s a lot of parents out there who want to cut out violent or sexual material from the movies their kids see and Cuts lets you do it. It also lets you mashup your own movie compilations.

David Dalka called me up tonight cause he read that Maryam and I were hanging out in Chicago for the evening. That was a nice surprise. He is excited about giving his first public speech at the eComXpo on October 24-26. It’s a free to attend virtual conference.

I remember the first time I spoke in front of a conference audience. Don Box was there (he’s one of the best speakers I’ve ever seen). I was so nervous! I couldn’t hold my hands steady.

It felt like I had just jumped into a pool of icewater. I couldn’t get my breath.

So, I’m always happy when more people try it out. I still suck at it, though. I’ve been thinking about going to Toastmasters to get better at it.

When I interviewed Woz last week he said when he was a kid he’d never go on stage — had to be prodded to show off his Apple I at the Homebrew Computer Society.

How about you, what keeps you from giving speeches at user groups or conferences?

Our plane, which is running late, is gonna get in at about 10:02 p.m., so can’t get into Chicago in time for the TechCocktail in Chicago tonight. We’ll just stay in a hotel near the airport. Bummer.