CSWhat Makes Groups Work: The ManifestoWhat Makes Groups Work: The Manifesto
What Makes Groups Work: The ManifestoWhat Makes Groups Work:
The Manifesto
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Curt Steinhorst
SEC — 01: Start Screen

Leadership keynote speaker · Bestselling author · Former Head of People at Venus Aerospace

Even rocket science comes down to people working together.

The engineers handled the math. My job started with three questions:

What deserves attention? How do smart people disagree? Who can still tell a leader the truth?

CS // Demo Reel
Press Start
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500+ KeynotesFour Continents
Curt Steinhorst speaking at TEDx Roseville
SEC — 02: Stage Select

What Does Your Event Need?

I speak to the human dynamics so you can build hard things.

Depending on the pressure you're under, here are the four stages I help leaders navigate most:

Lead Through AI Adoption

Help people move past fear, use the tools well, and understand which parts of leadership no machine can take over.

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Make Better Decisions Under Pressure

Give leaders practical ways to test assumptions, hear what they may be missing, and make sound calls when the answer is not obvious.

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Protect Attention and Execution

Reclaim time for focused work and align the team around the few priorities that deserve it.

Explore attention keynotes →
Build a Culture That Holds

Make disagreement safer, surface problems earlier, and keep a team together when the pressure rises.

Explore team keynotes →
Explore All Keynotes
SEC — 03: Choose Your Player

Why Curt

Venus Aerospace wireframe Curt at Venus Aerospace

I spent 10 years on stages. Then I left to run the people side of a rocket company.

Venus flew a rocket engine no one had flown before, the kind built to make hypersonic flight possible, and raised more than $100 million along the way.

Inside, the work was expensive, dangerous, and very difficult to undo. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.

I ALSO LEARNED MORE IN THOSE THREE YEARS
THAN IN THE FIFTEEN BEFORE THEM.

Before Venus, I wrote a bestselling book on attention, coached NFL Hall of Famers, Olympic gold medalists, Fortune 500 CEOs, and viral TED speakers through the biggest presentations of their careers, and gave 500+ keynotes built custom every time.

Curt Steinhorst engaging the crowd
SEC — 04: Multiplayer

Beyond the Keynote

I also work directly with executive teams.

Three ways organizations keep the work going after the applause stops.

Team working session

Keynote + Executive Session

Open with the full audience, then take the senior team behind closed doors to work through the decisions specific to them.

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This is fine — Game of Thrones edition

Values & Operating Principles

Mission, values, and operating principles written specifically enough to shape behavior, settle arguments, and kill bad ideas early.

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Curt in coaching session

High-Stakes Messaging

Private preparation for founders and executives facing board presentations, investor pitches, company resets, and other moments that carry the company's future.

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SEC — 05: Player's Guide

The Manifesto

On Optimizing Yourself Into a Corner: The Manifesto

On Optimizing Yourself Into a Corner

The manifesto behind the talks

I kept meeting successful people who had built the life they wanted and no longer wanted to live it. This is my attempt to understand how we got there, what our usual fixes keep missing, and what might lead us back.

Read the manifesto
Curt Steinhorst
SEC — 06: Press Start

Let's Talk

Got an Event Coming Up?

Tell me what your people are facing. I'll tell you if I'm the right fit. First call is easy.

Building a shortlist? Download the Speaker Kit. Ready to talk? Check availability.

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