Toastmasters
Hacker ApprovedPublic speaking club in Learning
People recommend Toastmasters as a low-pressure place to practice public speaking, get feedback from peers, and meet people at local clubs.
People recommend Toastmasters as a low-pressure place to practice public speaking, get feedback from peers, and meet people at local clubs.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 15
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 7 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 15 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 7 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Practice and encouragement from peers
“get's you lots of practice, encouragement and you can learn from some excellent speakers”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Getting into public speaking” “it is easy to find a place to practice if you join a local Toastmasters club”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Getting into public speaking” “Seen some speakers soar after attending this group for a year.”
Comment from 9 Dec 2025 in “So you want to speak at software conferences?” Meeting people and making connections
“it's a good way to make connections with people and get to know them better”
Comment from 28 Jan 2026 in “Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux” “it is an excellent place to meet people”
Comment from 16 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: How can we solve the loneliness epidemic?” Varied speaking formats and structure
“What I liked about it was it had a ten speech structure and you could move on w life afterwards.”
Comment from 17 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What's Something You Wished You Started Doing Earlier?” “They do a variety of speaking formats.”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Getting into public speaking” Stronger speaking and thinking on feet
“Toastmasters will improve: your ability to think on your feet”
Comment from 16 Dec 2025 in “Getting into public speaking” “pleasantly surprised with the quality of speaking”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Getting into public speaking”
What people said
All 18 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The only advice worth picking up in books like that is advice you'd also find if you joined Toastmasters”
“It's incredibly fulfilling and also humbling because I'm probably the least accomplished person in the room”
“Good Toastmasters clubs are a good example of this.”
“I recommend going to your closest Toastmasters club.”
“Many impressive speakers I've met actually cite Toastmasters! So their obsessive zeal actually does work.”
“there is a aah counter in toast master”
“If interviews is the hard part for people here, try Toastmasters.”
“it's a good way to make connections with people and get to know them better”
“What I liked about it was it had a ten speech structure and you could move on w life afterwards.”
“Social skills, management skills, and learning to tell.”
“it is an excellent place to meet people”
“Toastmasters will improve: your ability to think on your feet”
“I'd recommend joining Toastmasters.”
“it is easy to find a place to practice if you join a local Toastmasters club”
“They do a variety of speaking formats.”
“get's you lots of practice, encouragement and you can learn from some excellent speakers”
“pleasantly surprised with the quality of speaking”
“Seen some speakers soar after attending this group for a year.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.