Professional Video Call Backgrounds

The ability to explain complex concepts simply is valuable in interviews and throughout your career. It shows mastery and communication skills.

Why This Matters

• Technical interviews often test this ability
• You'll work with non-technical stakeholders
• True understanding enables simple explanation
• Leadership requires communication across audiences

The Framework for Simple Explanation

1. Know Your Audience

• What's their technical background?
• What do they already know?
• What do they need to know?
• Why do they care?

2. Start with Why

Before explaining what or how, explain why it matters.

3. Use Analogies

Connect to concepts they already understand.

4. Build Up Gradually

Start simple, add complexity incrementally.

5. Check Understanding

Pause and confirm they're following along.

Example: Explaining an API

To a Non-Technical Person

"An API is like a waiter at a restaurant. You (the customer) tell the waiter what you want. The waiter goes to the kitchen (the system), gets your order, and brings it back. The API is the waiter—it takes your request, gets the information you need, and delivers it back to you."

To a Technical Person

"An API defines the contract between systems for how they communicate. It specifies endpoints, request/response formats, authentication, and error handling. Our API is RESTful, using JSON over HTTPS."

Common Mistakes

• Using jargon without defining it
• Over-simplifying and losing accuracy
• Not checking for understanding
• Assuming knowledge they don't have
• Being condescending

Practice Exercise

Take a concept from your work and practice explaining it to:

• A colleague in your field
• A colleague in a different field
• A family member with no technical background