The session was framed as a VIP-Pitch. I do not think the presenters, young founders with passionate ideas, fully appreciated the challenge they would face. 90 seconds in front of a virtual audience with 3 mentors take a judge seat. At the end, each judge would give one-way feedback. There was no Q&A, no chance to explain, and the clock starts….now.
First, let me acknowledge that it is far easier to judge than it is to present. We are, at best, outside commentators who can see what one on the inside will struggle to grasp. We get to pick and choose. We know we have incomplete information, however the information the founder shares and our own experience are all that we can use to ground our observations.
It was brutal. While we admire one’s courage, our assignment was to be frank, direct, and helpful. We often acknowledge a positive before focusing on the gaps and weaknesses. Along the way, details emerged which would have dramatically altered our perceptions, but we only had what we were given.
I left the session with reminders I will need to hold close as I make my 90-second pitch.
Know your story. This will require an honest look in the mirror. See the good as well as the bad, the known as well as the unknown. This will require feedback which may be difficult to hear and even more difficult to understand, accept, and use.
Be positively confident. Know what you love and believe in so you can stand tall. Be aware of the challenge of doing something for the negative. For the latter, it often ends badly. The psalmist words are often true for anyone driven by negatives; “let all those who hate Zion grovel in humiliation.” (Psalm 129.5)
Be precise. This is often the most difficult part when I am up front. There are so many features and nuances which differentiate, but do they help someone listening understand? Simplicity and distillation can be a great bridge to so much more.
Life’s invitation today is personal as well as professional.
